The Winds of Time
by Dusktrail
Summary: Ryan is a guy who doesn't have much use for pokemon, but soon finds himself partnered with one. With one of the guardians of creation having abandoned its duties, Ryan finds himself caught up in events that quickly spiral out of control. Can an unlikely hero rise to the challenge, or will mysterious forces plunge the world into a dark future?
1. The Discarded

**The Winds of Time**

By Dusktrail

Cover art by: Mister Grenade

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Discarded**

The ancient creature stood upon the mountain's peak, its large, white body a stark contrast to the slate-grey rock around it. A gust of wind washed over its body, curling turbulently through the golden protrusions that ringed the midsection of its quadrupedal form. It closed its eyes in contemplation, letting its senses take in the essence of the world around it. It felt the currents of life flowing across the landscape in myriad threads of color and light. It felt the air rushing through the vault of the sky, stretching up until it faded into the empty blackness beyond. It felt the heart of the earth spinning deep below, churning in its fiery cocoon. And it felt all of these carried inexorably forward by...

It opened its eyes with a shudder.

The Winds of Time.

Cold enough they had become to drive a chill through even it, the one who had come before all others. Cold, like the heart of the one who stood as time's guardian.

It stepped to the edge of the mountain peak and gazed out upon the world below, wondering what this would portend.

# # #

Ryan watched from behind the cover of a clump of bushes as two men opened the back of the plain white van they had parked in the forest clearing and began unloading its contents. The bang and clatter of the small metal cages the men pulled from the van was swallowed up by the surrounding trees, their previously chirping and chittering inhabitants now suddenly silent. One by one, the men dumped the occupants of the cages onto the ground. Most were tiny orange birdlike creatures or blue and white rodents - torchic and cyndaquil like the ones Dr. Lynd was treating.

Once they had finished dumping their cargo, the men loaded the empty cages back into the van and drove away. Ryan stepped out from behind the bushes and made his way toward the pokemon the men had left behind. Many of them had already scurried away into the forest. The ones that remained looked sluggish and listless. Even still, Ryan approached with caution as these fire types could be very dangerous, even in the weakened state that they appeared to be in.

Several torchic who were missing small patches of feathers stirred only as he drew near, hopping feebly away. Ryan approached two cyndaquil, one of which lay on its side, its breathing labored, issuing only small puffs of smoke from its back where flames should be. The other, its own flame a pitiful flicker, stood over its companion, gently prodding it with its nose. It quickly turned when Ryan's shadow fell across it. He stepped back slowly, fearful of provoking it. Instead, the cyndaquil only looked up at him and squeaked plaintively then returned to nosing his companion.

Ryan took out his cell phone and dialed.

"Arborea Hills pokemon clinic," came the female voice from the other end, "how can I help you?"

"Doctor Lynd, it's Ryan. I found out where all the injured pokemon are coming from. A couple guys just dumped a vanload of them in the forest off route 217. We're looking at a couple dozen here. I'm sending you my GPS position so you can make a pickup."

"A couple dozen? This is bigger than I thought."

"Yeah. I don't know who these guys are, but I'm going to try to follow them and find out." Ryan paused for a moment then held out his phone and snapped a photo of the cyndaquil. "By the way, you might want to tell whoever you're sending out here to step on it. Some of these critters are in pretty bad shape. I'm shooting you a pic."

There was a pause on the other end, noticeably longer than would be necessary to check the photo. "They'll be there right away," Doctor Lynd said, her tone soft but serious.

Ryan stepped out from the stand of trees and watched the white van making its way slowly down the switchback dirt road that led back toward town. "Okay, doc. I better get moving before these guys get too far."

"Ryan, be careful. I don't want you to do anything that'll get you..."

He hung up before she could finish and slipped the phone back into a pocket in his cargo pants, hurrying back toward his previous hiding spot. As he neared the offloaded pokemon, the cyndaquil squeaked at him again. He glanced only briefly in its direction as he passed.

He jumped onto his motorcycle that he'd parked a short distance away - a dual-sport model, equally at home off the road as well as on. He thumbed the starter and smiled as the motor instantly thrummed to life. Its quick response was testament to the pride he took in its care since he bought it two years ago with money he'd saved from after-school jobs. It was a sixteenth birthday present to himself - the only one he'd received that year.

He sped off in pursuit, cutting across the switchbacks and quickly making up the distance between him and the white van.

# # #

Ryan stopped short of the driveway that the van turned in to. There was no need to get closer to know what this place was - a large sign that read "NuGen" in a large, futuristic-looking font sat prominently in front of the sprawling, multistory building that dominated the landscape. After watching the van drive around to the back of the building, he backtracked a short distance and pulled off the road.

The area had just enough tree cover to allow him to circle around and approach the building from the rear. He parked his motorcycle among a nearby stand of trees and crept closer on foot. A roughly ten foot high cinder block wall stood between him and the building - a lucky break, since it provided cover for him as he approached.

He hopped up and grabbed the top of the wall, hoisting himself up and over it and landing lightly on the other side among a row of parked cars. He hunkered down behind them, quickly scanning the area for anyone who might have seen him come over the wall, finding himself alone for the moment. A quick visual search revealed the white van parked near a loading dock a short distance away.

Ryan speculated that they might have come back for another load of pokemon to dump. If so, he could catch them in the act. Since no one had apparently seen him sneak into the parking lot, he decided the best way to avoid suspicion was to not look suspicious and simply stood up and strode openly toward the loading dock as if he belonged there. His ploy seemed to work, as he passed a smartly dressed woman exiting the building who didn't so much as glance at him as well as a man pulling into a parking spot who actually waved at him.

Ryan came to the loading dock, finding its metal roll-up door still open. Inside, he saw a large staging area, its interior currently lit only by the fading, late-afternoon daylight shining in from the outside. Built large enough to accommodate the back end of a semi-trailer, Ryan noted that it could easily accommodate a smaller vehicle - such as a van - inside it, shielding the vehicle and whatever someone might load into it from view.

A few stacks of rather unremarkable-looking cardboard boxes were visible just inside, but Ryan suspected that the shadowed recesses farther in might conceal something a bit more incriminating. After a quick check of his surroundings, he hurried inside and began searching the interior.

Unfortunately, the boxes contained only office supplies and the far corners contained nothing more interesting than a case of rubbing alcohol. _So much for the smoking gun_ , he thought. Still, he at least knew where the injured pokemon were coming from, if not the "why" behind it. It looked like that would have to be enough, for now. He turned and headed back the way he came.

"Hey, you! What are you doing over there?" came a harsh voice behind him.

Ryan turned toward the voice to see a large man wearing black pants and a white shirt walking toward him from the direction of the double doors on the back wall leading into the building. Ryan's stomach sank as he spied the baton hanging from the man's wide belt and the badge on his shirt. He glanced toward the outer doorway, then back toward the security guard approaching him.

The guard was closer.

"I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you an employee?" the guard asked, looking down at him. Broad-shouldered and muscular, he towered over Ryan by a head.

"Yes, actually. New hire," he quickly lied. "Just cleaning up before the next shipment gets in."

The guard eyed him up and down. "Where's your ID badge?"

"Oh, I must've left it in my car. Hold on and I'll get it."

"It's okay," the guard said, pulling out his radio. "Just tell me your name and I'll have Rachel verify you."

"Actually, you've got a point. I really shouldn't be running around without my ID." Ryan said, backing toward the dock exit. "I'll go grab it so we can both get back to work."

"Hold on a second," the guard said, moving to follow.

Ryan broke and ran, hoping that the small head start he had would be enough. He dashed out of the dock, the guard's footsteps close behind. He weaved between some of the cars, hoping to widen his lead, then made a running jump for the cinder block wall. His adrenaline-fueled leap carried him high, allowing him to scramble up and halfway over in one quick motion.

A hand closed around his trailing leg, ripping him off of the wall and sending him sprawling to the ground. The guard hoisted him up with a vice-like grip then threw him across the hood of a nearby car, easily pinning his arms behind him. Ryan struggled desperately but the guard held him fast, until finally he felt a thick plastic zip tie cinch closed around his wrists.

# # #

The security guard shoved Ryan roughly into a small, plain room furnished only with a small table and a few chairs. The guard pointed at one. "Sit," he barked.

After being so easily manhandled, Ryan decided it was best to comply.

A short time later, another man walked in. He was short and balding, dressed in brown khakis and a salmon-colored button-down shirt with a dark green tie. At his side was a bipedal pokemon that, at a little over five feet tall, stood only slightly shorter than him. Its lean upper body was mostly green, including its arms which looked oddly flattened, while its lower body was white. It regarded Ryan intently with large, alert eyes.

"What's going on here?" the man asked the security guard.

The guard nodded toward Ryan. "I caught him sneaking around in the loading dock."

"Just him?"

"Yes, sir," the guard replied.

"Well, check the building and make sure. I'll take care of things here."

With a nod, the guard turned and left the room.

The balding man sighed then turned to Ryan. "This gallade," he said, pointing to the pokemon next to him, "is psychic. It'll know if you're lying to me so don't bother trying. Now, why did you break into our facility? What were you trying to steal?"

"First off, I didn't break in," Ryan said. "And I wasn't trying to steal anything."

The man turned to the gallade who silently nodded.

"So what were you doing in the loading dock, then?"

Ryan considered his situation. He certainly couldn't tell them the real reason he was there. Telling the world's largest pokemon pharmaceutical company that you're going to blow the whistle on them while you're trussed up in one of their research facilities couldn't possibly end well. He figured, at best, they'd quietly dispose of any incriminating evidence while he sat in a jail cell. At worst? Ryan's eyes drifted toward the gallade. He suspected its mental powers had more dangerous uses than just reading minds. But if it actually could tell if he was lying, he wouldn't be able to explain his presence any other way.

Instead, he decided the only thing he could say was nothing.

After asking a few more questions and receiving no answers to any of them, the balding man's patience quickly ran out. "If that's the way you want it, fine," he said. "You can explain yourself to the police." He turned to the pokemon beside him. "Gallade, I want you to keep an eye on our guest until the police arrive. Do you understand?"

The gallade nodded.

The man glanced back at Ryan, shook his head, then left the room.

Ryan hung his head. He wondered how he would explain this to Doctor Lynd. Would she even accept a call from him in jail? Doubtful. A simple trespassing charge probably wouldn't carry too stiff of a penalty, but after this shook out, there was no way she'd let him keep working for her. A shame, that. He'd hoped to stick around at least a little while longer.

 _Why are you really here?_

Ryan looked up in surprise as he realized that he'd heard the words spoken directly into his mind. He saw the gallade regarding him deliberately. "Did- you just talk to me?"

The gallade gave him a bland look. _You don't see anyone else here, do you?_

"No, I guess I don't. It's just that I've never had an actual conversation with a pokemon before."

 _Your emotions intrigue me. I felt a great deal of fear from you while you were being questioned, which is understandable._

So it truly was psychic. The thought of it being able to rummage around so easily in his mind made Ryan's insides twist.

 _What is less understandable is that I detected no feelings of guilt about your actions. The part that I find truly baffling, however, is that you actually became less afraid when he said he was calling the police. Whatever your purpose was in coming here, you feared it being revealed more than any consequence that should follow. So, I ask you again,_ the gallade said, locking its large amber eyes on his, _why are you really here?_

Ryan quickly considered the situation. Perhaps this gallade didn't actually know what these people were up to. Given the circumstances, it seemed unlikely. It also seemed unlikely that it would be pleased with its masters if it did know. He decided to take a chance. "They're hurting pokemon."

The gallade's large eyes narrowed. _Is that so?_ it said into Ryan's mind.

"Yeah. They're dumping pokemon in the forest. I don't know what's being done to them before that, but some of them were on death's door when these guys were through with them. I have proof of it if you don't believe me."

The gallade said nothing, just staring at him for long moments. If it could read minds as well as it seemed, it would know he was telling the truth. Or perhaps, Ryan thought, with a knot growing in the pit of his stomach, it knew exactly what was going on. Maybe the balding man was just the set-up and the real interrogator was standing in front of him.

With sudden swiftness, the gallade strode toward him, its right forearm flattening into a dull green blade. Before Ryan could react, it clamped a hand on his shoulder and raised its arm blade high, then brought it slashing down in a savage, green blur.

He heard the sound of plastic clattering on the floor behind him as his wrists came unbound.

 _Show me this proof you spoke of. Now_.

Ryan slowly took his cell phone out of his pocket and brought up the image of the two cyndaquil. "This was taken less than an hour ago," he said, holding the phone out for the gallade to see. "I followed the people who did this back here."

It leaned in close, studying the image intently. Ryan watched its brow furrow then darken into a scowl as it examined the image on the screen. Finally, it straightened, taking a deep breath and immediately letting it out in a rush. _Stay here_ , it said telepathically. _I will return shortly_.

Without another word, it turned and left the room.

Ryan stood, rubbing his wrists where the ties had bitten into them. Now free, he quickly weighed the situation. The gallade certainly seemed to be swayed by what he told - and showed - it. But what was it doing now? Was it going to help him escape? Perhaps it went to confront its masters about what it had just learned. If so, that could be disastrous for both of them. He could take his chances and make a break for it now, but he knew he probably wouldn't get far. Not without help, anyway.

But as minute by minute ticked slowly by, he felt his faith in his would-be ally waning and his chances for escape slipping away. Whatever the gallade had in mind was taking too long. Finally, he could wait no longer. He went for the door.

As Ryan's hand touched the doorknob, electronic alarm bells rang out through the hallway outside. Startled, Ryan snatched his hand back. A moment later the door crashed open and the gallade rushed through, breathing hard.

"What's happening?" Ryan asked.

A computerized voice echoed through the hallways, "Fire alert, floor 1, section A. Fire suppression system has been activated."

"You started a fire?!"

 _No_ , the gallade said, _the twenty charmander I let out of their cages in the holding area started a fire. They seemed unusually agitated for some reason. Perhaps they, too, had been ill-used. Now quickly, follow me_. The gallade turned and headed out the door.

Ryan hurried after him as the alarm bells and computerized PA announcements continued. The few people they encountered ran past them without a second glance.

After winding their way through the hallways, the gallade finally led them to a staircase. It started heading upstairs.

"Where are you taking us?" he called after him.

 _There's a lab on the third floor I've never been allowed in or even near. I think we should both like to have a look at it._

"Do you think we'll have enough time?"

 _This is why you came here in the first place, isn't it?_

"Fire alarm, Floor 2, section A" the automated voice blared.

 _And yes, I think we should have enough time if we hurry._

"So, what should I call you, anyway?" Ryan asked as they ran up the stairs. "That guy you walked in with called you 'gallade' but I thought most pokemon that hung around humans had names."

 _A few of the people I work with call me Cutter_ , he replied. Ryan decided for himself that it was a he. Its mental voice sounded masculine, and Cutter seemed like a male name, anyway.

"I guess I can see why," Ryan said as they topped the stairs and rushed down another hallway. "My name's Ryan, by the way. So, Cutter, how much farther is it?"

 _Here_ , Cutter said, stopping in front of a white, metal door with a placard that read, "Lab 3-C-11. Authorized Personnel Only."

Ryan tried the door and found it locked. To his chagrin, he found the only visible means of unlocking the door to be a card reader on the wall next to it.

 _Allow me_ , Cutter said, producing a card. He slid it into the reader which beeped, followed by a loud click from the door.

Ryan noticed, as Cutter withdrew the card, that it was imprinted with the photo of the salmon-shirted man that questioned him earlier. He quickly opened the door to the lab, deciding it was probably best not to inquire.

Ryan flipped the switches just inside the door and the fluorescent ceiling lights flickered to life, illuminating the darkened room and revealing a panoply of scientific equipment inside. He pulled out his cell phone and starting recording video as he entered.

Dominating the room were transparent cylindrical tanks which lined opposite walls of the large, rectangular room. Ryan approached the nearest one which was filled with a clear liquid and contained an irregularly-shaped lump of organic matter suspended within it.

Cutter stood next to Ryan and peered into the tank. _What is that, Ryan? It looks - wrong._

"Cloned tissue sample F22-3," Ryan said, reading a label on the side of the tank. He walked down the row of tanks, each also containing tissues of indeterminate origin with similarly cryptic labels.

At the far end of the room, they found rows of glass-fronted enclosures of various sizes. Inside some of them were bowls of feed pellets and water. An acrid smell wafted from the enclosures - a pungent mix of urine, animal spoor and disinfectant. As he inspected the enclosures, Ryan noticed that Cutter hung well back, his arms clutched together. Ryan could understand why. Even to him, this corner stank of fear.

He moved on to a nearby area enclosed by curtains hanging from tracks in the ceiling. Ryan pulled back one of the curtains, revealing a large stainless steel table. Leather straps dangled from slots in the table's edge and a swivel-mounted light fixture hung above it on a long armature. A small smear of blood marred the otherwise shiny surface.

Ryan felt Cutter's hand on his arm.

 _I don't like this place,_ Cutter said, his mental voiced tinged with anxiety. _Can we go now?_

"There's one last thing I want to look at," Ryan said, drawing the curtains closed once again. He went to one of the computers sitting on a table in the middle of the room. He wiggled the mouse and the screen turned on, showing a plain desktop littered with icons. Most had uninteresting labels and brought up charts full of incomprehensible data when opened. Nestled within one of the subfolders, however, was something that caught Ryan's eye.

"Project Prometheus, huh? Let's have a look at you." Ryan clicked on the folder, but instead of opening, a prompt appeared on the screen. Ryan swore.

 _What's wrong?_

"Password protected. Figures. And we're running out of time. Wait, I know one last place to look." He found the e-mail section and began scanning the recent messages. A few moments later he stopped and turned to his companion.

"Hey, Cutter, can you read?"

 _Yes, why?_

Ryan pointed to the e-mail displayed on the screen.

To: Harold Trumbull, Engineering Dept.

From: Dr. Gregory Talbot, Life Sciences Dept.

Re: Your gallade

At your earliest convenience, would you please send the gallade you have assisting your team to my lab? My project has reached a crucial point and I believe its presence would prove invaluable.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 _They were going to..._ Cutter looked up at Ryan then stared at the lone empty tank in the room _...to me?_

"I think we've seen everything we need to see here, don't you?"

 _Yes. I think we have_ , Cutter said, his mental voice low and somber. _We should leave before the diversion I set runs its..._

The lab door opened and a tall, bearded man appeared in the doorway, his otherwise clean lab coat marred with dark, sooty scorches. His eyes scanned the room and quickly fell upon Ryan and Cutter. "Who are you? What are you doing in my lab?" he demanded.

"Getting your dumb ass on camera," Ryan shot back, holding up his cell phone. He turned to Cutter. "Time to bail." The two of them raced through the door on the opposite side of the room and into the adjoining hallway. "Is there another way down other than the stairs we came up?" he asked.

 _Yes. This way._

Ryan followed Cutter through the halls, looking back every so often to check for signs of pursuit. Thankfully, he saw none. When they arrived, panting, at where Cutter had led them, Ryan stared in disbelief. "Tell me that's not what I think it is," he said, pointing to the pair of small, metal, swing-up doors set into the wall. Above them hung a large placard emblazoned with the triangular recycling symbol.

Cutter regarded him for a moment. _It's exactly what you think it is._

"Am I even going to..." Ryan trailed off as he heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching. Moments later, a dark shape rounded the nearby corner - a large, black-furred canine pokemon with backward curving horns on its head. Its eyes glowed with a hellish red light which flared brighter when it saw them.

A houndoom.

He'd never seen one in person before but the stories he'd heard of those who'd been attacked by them - those who'd survived - had given him nightmares when he first heard them.

It bared its teeth with a growl and charged, wisps of flame and smoke leaking from the corners of its mouth. By the time Ryan could react, the houndoom's leap was already carrying it through the air, jaws gaping, toward him.

Just before the houndoom struck, Cutter jumped in front of him, arms raised and extended into blades. It crashed into Cutter, the impact sending all of them tumbling to the floor.

Ryan quickly scrambled to his feet but Cutter was pinned to the floor by the houndoom who had its jaws locked on Cutter's right arm. Cutter slashed at the houndoom with his other arm but his position prevented him from getting enough leverage to make an effective strike. Without releasing its hold, the houndoom responded by exhaling a gout of flame. Cutter's arm took the brunt of the blast, but at such short range, the flame still had enough power to sear Cutter's chest.

The houndoom was making short work of Cutter, but Ryan knew that if he attacked it barehanded, it was likely to make even shorter work of him. He needed a weapon. Perhaps one of the nearby rooms held something he could use - a broom or some chemicals or even a pair of scissors. He dashed to the nearest door and tried it.

Locked.

He was about to try another door when his eyes fell upon a red canister hanging near the door. He smiled grimly and snatched it off of the wall.

Ryan ran back to the melee, aimed the fire extinguisher at the houndoom and squeezed the lever, blasting it in the face. The houndoom yelped in pain, letting go of Cutter's arm and staggered back several steps. Ryan pressed the attack, shifting his grip to hold the fire extinguisher's head with both hands, then hauled back and aimed a low golf swing at the houndoom's head, connecting with a hollow metallic clang that sent it tumbling to the floor. It came to rest, unmoving, on its side, its black fur now dusted powder-white from the extinguisher's blast.

Ryan knelt next to Cutter who was holding his right arm, bloodied and scorched from the houndoom's attack. "Are you okay?"

 _It stings, but it's not bad._

"I wasn't sure that would work, but I figured it was a good bet that a fire pokemon might be susceptible to a fire extinguisher." Ryan helped Cutter up then opened one of the garbage chute doors.

 _Not that one._

"What difference does it make?"

 _Trust me._

Ryan let the door flap drop and opened the other one. "I can't believe I'm about to do this," he muttered.

Ryan landed roughly in the dumpster at the end of the garbage chute, his fall broken by bags full of empty plastic pokemon healing spray bottles. A few moments later, Cutter landed in a similar fashion, his fall broken mostly by Ryan. After climbing out, Ryan looked into the adjacent dumpster that the other chute emptied into and found that it was filled with empty metal aerosol cans of healing spray. "Good call," he said to Cutter who simply smiled in response. "Now, let's get the hell out of here."

# # #

Ryan stopped his motorcycle in front of a lone two-story house. The high-roofed building sat amid an expansive grass yard perched atop a broad hill. "This is it - the Arborea Hills Veterinary Clinic," Ryan said, dismounting.

Cutter hopped lightly to the ground. _It looks like a house._

"That's because it is a house," Ryan said as he led Cutter to the front door, past the small wooden sign which was the only outward indication that this edifice was anything other than the cozy dwelling it appeared to be. "Or at least it was. Doctor Lynd's husband owns a small construction company. He bought the place as a fixer-upper and converted it for her."

A bell suspended above the front door tinkled as they entered. Inside, the wainscoted walls and simulated wood grain linoleum tile further added to the homey feel of the place.

 _It still doesn't look like a clinic._

"That's the way Doctor Lynd wanted it. She told me she hated the typical sterile white-and-metal look. She said it put people on edge. Pokemon, too."

"Ryan, thank goodness you're back," said the woman hobbling into the waiting room from the hallway. Long, wavy brown hair framed her face, upon which sat oval-framed glasses. She stopped, resting a hand on her visibly swollen belly. "I was starting to worry. And who is your friend?"

"Hm? Oh, right. This is Cutter. Cutter, this is Doctor Lynd. She's a pokemon veterinarian."

 _It's nice to meet you, Doctor Lynd_.

She smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Cutter." Her eyes fell upon Cutter's wounded arm and her smile vanished. "What happened here?"

"A houndoom got him," Ryan said.

"Let me see," she said, gently holding up Cutter's arm to examine the bite marks. "This is definitely going to need attention. Come to the back and I'll take care of it." She turned to Ryan, frowning. "How did all of this happen? And where have you been?" She leaned in and sniffed. "And why do you smell like smoke?"

"Long story. The short version is that NuGen is the one dumping the pokemon."

"NuGen? They're behind this?"

Ryan sighed. "Yep. They were doing some pretty twisted stuff in their labs. Or at least some of them were, anyway. By the looks of it, they were going to put Cutter on the chopping block, too."

"I see. Well, I'm glad both of you are okay." They came to the treatment area in the back, which, unlike the waiting area, looked much more like a typical clinical setting with exam tables on a clean tile floor and medical supplies stacked neatly on white shelves and counters. She pointed to a small enclosure containing a pair of cyndaquil. The flames on their backs burned low but steady. "I'm happy to say that we picked up the pokemon at the location you sent us and it looks like all of them should make a full recovery."

"Oh, right. That's- great." Ryan said, fishing around around in his pants pockets. He pulled out his cell phone and started backing toward the hallway. "I think I'd better go get these pictures and videos posted. I bet a lot of people would be interested to see them. Don't worry," Ryan added, noting the hesitant expression on Cutter's face, "you're in good hands."

# # #

Cutter stretched out on the exam table and watched Doctor Lynd as she began passing a glowing wand-like device over his arm. _That looks like a model MDP-12 tissue modulator_ , he observed.

"Indeed it is," she smiled. "You certainly know your medical devices, Cutter."

 _I worked with the people who make this stuff, you know. They mainly use the HMAP-5 Bio-Reactor now. You can treat six pokemon at a time in one of them. Pokemon centers bought a lot of them when they rolled out._

"Unfortunately, being a small clinic, we don't have the resources that the big pokemon centers have. Besides, I like the hands-on approach better," she said, giving the crest on his head a scratch.

Cutter watched her work, her gentle touch and warm smile putting him at ease. Moreover, he could feel the genuine warmth she held for her charge - a sincere love not only for what she did but for the ones she did it for.

 _I noticed that your abdominal area seems unusually distended. Is this normal?_

"It is," she said, "considering the fact that I'm pregnant."

 _Really?_ Cutter's eyes brightened. _I've never seen a human egg before. Will you be laying it soon?_

"Humans don't lay eggs, Cutter," Doctor Lynd said, smiling. "We give birth to live offspring. And I expect that my baby will arrive within the month."

 _The extra mass seems to impede your movement,_ Cutter said, noting how she had to shift her body to lean over the table. _Does it interfere with your work?_

"At first, not so much. Now..." she rubbed her swollen belly and sighed, "...a little. It's a good thing I have Ryan to help out."

 _He does seem resourceful. Have you known him long?_

"No. He came in a couple months ago looking for a job. Since he didn't have a place to stay, I offered him one of the rooms that hadn't been converted in return for keeping an eye on things at night."

 _I'm surprised he would want to work here. He doesn't seem very comfortable around pokemon._

"He does give that impression, doesn't he? But he's always taken good care of our patients and they respond well to him. And believe me, most pokemon can tell when someone doesn't like them."

 _So why does he act as he does?_

"I don't know. He's a bit of a mystery. He doesn't talk about himself much, even when I ask, and he never talks about his family. All I know is that he left home as soon as he graduated from high school and after traveling a while, wound up here." Doctor Lynd turned off the medical device and set it on a tray next to the table. "All done. How does it feel?"

Cutter sat up and flexed his fingers, then extended his forearm into a blade. _Good as new. Thank you._

"You're very welcome."

 _Before you go, there was something else I wanted to ask you._

# # #

Cutter walked out to the grassy yard behind the clinic and found Ryan leaning back against a large rock, facing toward the town below in the distance. Ryan had his cell phone in hand, watching as his video was being shared across numerous social media sites, pokemon forums lighting up with the outrage of trainers across the nation at the revelation of NuGen's experiments.

Ryan glanced up at Cutter. "How's the arm?"

Cutter held up the appendage in question. _Fully healed. Doctor Lynd is an excellent veterinarian._

"I wonder if NuGen really was ignorant of what that Gregory Talbot guy was doing. Maybe. I hope so." Ryan began idly flicking at a weed between his feet. "Could you imagine that, though? The world's biggest manufacturer of pokemon medicine doing sick experiments on pokemon?"

 _It would be frightening._

"You know, you really saved my bacon back there. Breaking me out. The houndoom. Nasty business with that."

 _In a way, you saved me as well. Had you not come, I would have no knowledge of what they were planning to do with me._

Ryan waved a dismissive hand. "All I did was snoop around a bit and get caught."

 _But you found the answers you were looking for and exposed the people responsible. You risked much for that. I think that says something about you._

"Doctor Lynd wanted to know where all the injured pokemon were coming from, so I went looking."

 _It's interesting that you bring that up. You see, after she was done treating me, I mentioned to her that it seemed an exceptionally dangerous thing that she asked of you. I was surprised when she told me that she never asked you to investigate the matter at all. In fact, the only thing she remembers saying to you about it was a passing comment expressing frustration at not knowing the source of the injured pokemon._

"Doctor Lynd helped me when I needed it. I was just returning the favor. So now that everything's done, what are you going to do? You're not going back there, are you?"

 _There are some nice people there, but after what I saw, I don't think I'd ever feel safe there again. A home you can't trust isn't a home anymore._

"Yeah. I know."

Cutter looked at Ryan, startled by the burst of emotion that accompanied his words - a sudden slash with a keen, bitter edge that passed as quickly as it came, leaving not the slightest trace on his expression.

 _I think I know where I'd like to go._

"Yeah? Where's that?"

 _I'd like to stay with you._

Ryan blinked. "With me? I, um... I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

 _Oh. I suppose it was a bit forward of me to ask such a thing, considering we just met._

"It's not that, it's just... Don't you think you'd be happier with someone else?"

 _What do you mean?_

"Well, there are a lot of people out there who spend their lives studying pokemon and learning how to take care of them. I'm just... I don't exactly know a lot about that sort of thing."

 _I know._

"So why would you want to stay with me?"

 _Because I like you._

Ryan stared at Cutter, saw big amber eyes full of sincerity looking hopefully back at him. He quickly looked away. "I... I don't..." he started, swallowing hard through his suddenly dry throat. He stared down at the grass between his feet. "...I don't have any poke balls for you to sleep in so you'll have to share the sofa bed with me. It's not much, but it's what I've got." He kept his eyes fixed downward as Cutter sat next to him, leaning into his side.

 _I'm okay with that._

The last light of the setting sun faded into dusk while they sat together, no other words passing between them. In the stillness of their long silence, Ryan felt an ineffable warmth from the pokemon nestled at his side - a spark of light illuminating a place within him long left cold and empty. Whether it was some psychic emanation or simply a product of his own mind, he didn't know. Whichever it was, though, it felt real.

And that was enough.


	2. Metal on Metal

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Metal on Metal**

The ancient pokemon felt a shift in the fabric of reality behind it - a bending of space that formed a connection between this realm and another, distant one. A moment later, it was not alone.

"You summoned me?" came a voice from the newcomer. "Father," it added, as if reluctantly.

The ancient one turned slowly to face the one who spoke. The newcomer shared a strong physical resemblance to it in its quadrupedal form but differed in its coloration, having a blue body lined with luminescent stripes. Metallic crests adorned its head, back and chest. A single, blue-white jewel set into its chest pulsed slowly with an inner light. It glared down at its sire with burning, red eyes, dwarfing the ancient pokemon with its own towering form. "Indeed. Too long has it been since we have spoken, Dialga."

"Ironic that you say so, considering you had little to say before, _Arceus_ ," Dialga said, the last word spoken with obvious contempt.

"I had much to say, but little that you cared to hear."

Dialga idly pawed at a rock, then crushed it under a metallic foot. "Was there any particular reason you called me here, or did you simply wish to remind me of your preeminence?"

"Long has been your absence, Dialga. The Winds of Time have grown cold without your guardianship."

"Time needs no guardian," Dialga spat. "It has looked after itself these many years and I see no reason why it cannot continue to do so."

"You are mistaken. This world suffers and I fear that it will suffer more in the coming days without your presence."

"As if you care!" Dialga said, rounding on his father. "Tell me, if you are so concerned for this world, what you have done to guide it along? How have you shepherded the masses spread out upon the land before you? You stand here upon your lofty perch, meditating on your own greatness and making grand pronouncements against those you deign to cast your gaze down upon. But will you so much as lift a finger for anyone in this world? Of course not! After all, why should you when everyone is beneath you."

"I cannot bear the weight of this world alone. That is why I invested much of my former power into my children - and especially into you, Dialga."

"So you say, but I think, perhaps, something less noble stays you. Perhaps it is fear? Fear of failure? Oh, yes, such reluctance would be wise on your part." Dialga leaned in close, his eyes smoldering into a deeper shade of red. "For the taste of failure is bitter indeed and lingers long after you weary of it."

"I know that the past has brought you pain, but you are needed here in the present by pokemon and humans alike."

Dialga made a derisive snort. "Humans. I think this world would have been better without them."

Arceus looked up into Dialga's eyes. "We both know you don't mean that," he said softly.

Dialga glared wordlessly down at his father, then turned and began walking away. "If you love this world so much," he said over his shoulder, "you can look after it yourself." The jewel set into Dialga's chest flared and the air in front of him rippled into a shimmering portal.

A moment later, Arceus was alone once more.

# # #

Ryan sat at the small, round table in the kitchen eating a slice of microwave pizza - a late-night snack before his evening rounds at the Arborea Hills Pokemon Veterinary Clinic. The sound of the evening news playing on a small television sitting on the counter broke the quiet of the evening. He watched the program absently between bites of pizza until one story in particular caught his attention.

 _NuGen, the world's largest supplier of pokemon medical supplies and training aids continues to face a firestorm of public criticism over allegations of pokemon abuse and bizarre experiments being conducted at one of their facilities. The story broke as a result of a video recently posted on the Internet depicting the alleged abuses. The video went viral within hours of its posting and now has pokemon advocacy groups demanding a full investigation. Inside sources report that Doctor Gregory Talbot, a senior researcher in NuGen's life sciences division has reportedly been terminated from NuGen as a result of the scandal. NuGen has since released an official statement: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by these recent revelations. As a result, we will be implementing more rigorous oversight of all research projects to ensure that they are conducted in a safe, humane and ethical manner consistent with our philosophy of providing quality care for our pokemon friends and their partners."_

Ryan sniffed at the bare crust in his hand then lobbed it into the garbage can across the room as he headed out of the kitchen to begin his nightly walkthrough. He checked the stocks of gauze and disinfectant, bringing in more from the storeroom where needed. He mopped the floor, wiped down the counters and emptied the garbage. Finally, he began his tour of the recovery room.

He came first to a clear, open-topped enclosure that was empty except for a single brown-speckled egg sitting on a pile of fine wood shavings. He glanced at the card affixed to the side of pen which read, "Species: Eevee". The egg had been here for the past few days, but the card identifying it was new.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone and opened his pokedex app. It had proven useful during his employment here at the clinic, though he found its contents to be dull reading and consulted it only when the need arose. Now, he scanned the entry pertaining to the occupant of the egg. It seemed to him to be a thoroughly unremarkable creature, aside from its unusual ability to develop into a wide variety of other forms by various means.

He put his phone back into his pocket and began walking away when a soft rustling sound made him pause. He turned back toward the pen and saw that the egg was shifting on its nest of shavings. He stepped closer and watched as its movements became more pronounced. The egg fell over on its side and began to rock and shudder. After a short while, an appendage burst through the shell - a wet, furry paw - soon followed by another. Finally, the egg split in half, revealing a small, brown vaguely canine creature with long ears, a thick, bushy tail and a white ruff around its neck.

It rolled about on its back, struggling to right itself. When it finally succeeding in getting its feet underneath it, it stood, wobbling, bits of wood shavings sticking to its still-damp fur, making a high-pitched yipping noise.

"I bet Doctor Lynd will be glad to see you've finally popped out," Ryan said to the bedraggled pokemon. "Though I suppose she wouldn't be thrilled if I left you looking like you lost a fight with a dumpster." Ryan retrieved a towel from a nearby cabinet and proceeded to wipe it dry, then placed bowls with food and water in the enclosure with it.

Ryan turned to continue his rounds but stopped when he heard the eevee begin yipping again. It stood with its front paws up on the glass, wagging its tail. "It's late. Eat your food and go to sleep," Ryan told it over his shoulder and continued on.

As he moved out of its view, the eevee's cries became a shrill whine.

Ryan stopped again, sighing heavily. He waited for the eevee's whining to stop, but when it didn't, he returned to its pen. The tiny creature looked up at him, squeaking plaintively. "All right, already," he said, exasperated. He reached down and picked up the eevee who practically leapt up into his hands. "You can come with me for the rest of my rounds, but just zip it, okay?"

The eevee made a mewling sound then settled quietly into Ryan's arms.

Without further disturbance, Ryan continued with his rounds, coming first to a fully enclosed glass-fronted pen containing a snakelike pokemon with a piece of gauze wrapped around it halfway down its body. "This is Mrs. Atwood's ekans," he told the eevee. "He tried to take a bite out of a raticate and wound up having a bite taken out of him, instead." The ekans raised its head and glared at Ryan. "Don't get mad at me for telling it like it is," he told it as he checked its bandage. "It's your own fault for being a greedy guts."

Ryan narrated the stories of the remaining patients to the eevee, including a purrloin that got stuck in a tree and decided to take a swan dive off the highest branch rather than allow itself to be rescued and a swalot that ate one of its owners' poke balls with a pokemon still inside it. The owner was understandably upset and the poke ball had to be surgically removed before it got digested. When he was finished, he found that the eevee had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully returned it to its pen then headed upstairs to his room and slid into his bed where Cutter already lay sleeping.

The next morning, Ryan crawled out from under the covers of the sofa bed, its springs softly twanging as he did. He stood and raked his fingers through his short, black hair. Cutter, nowhere to be seen, had apparently woke up before he did. Ryan rubbed his bleary eyes, yawning loudly, then proceeded to get dressed and went downstairs.

He found Doctor Lynd seated at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of tea with Cutter sitting next to her with his eyes closed and a hand on her stomach.

 _Good morning, Ryan,_ Cutter said without opening his eyes.

"Morning, Cutter, Doctor Lynd," he said, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He sat down at the table across from Doctor Lynd who smiled at him over her mug. "I hope you're being careful, Cutter," he said between spoonfuls. "A baby's mind is probably pretty fragile."

 _Oh, yes, of course. I only just listen, though. I doubt that its mind is sufficiently developed to understand anything I'd try to say to it anyway._

"And speaking of babies," he said to Doctor Lynd, "that eevee egg in the back hatched last night."

"It has? Oh, that's wonderful! After you finish your breakfast, we should go have a look at it."

Doctor Lynd finished her tea while Ryan dispatched his cereal, then the three of them went to the pen containing the newly hatched eevee where its occupant lay curled up inside. As they approached, it perked up and rushed to the edge of the pen, jumping and yipping.

"Damn, that thing's hyper," Ryan said. "Are they all like that?"

"Eevee are very energetic. It's part of the biological process that prepares them for transformation into other forms." She picked it up and attempted to examine it, but it immediately began squirming in her arms. "Ryan, could you hold it for me so I can check it over?"

He took the wriggling pokemon from Doctor Lynd and as soon as he did, it began eagerly licking his face.

"It seems to like you, Ryan," the Doctor said with a grin.

"I wish it would like me less. After it hatched, it wouldn't shut up until I carried it around for a while." Ryan looked down at the eevee who was now sniffing at his neck. "You can stop that, now," he said. The eevee, however, showed no signs of complying.

"I think you should keep him," Doctor Lynd said.

"I'm sure you'd find that adorable, but it already belongs to someone."

"Actually, it doesn't. I got the egg from a friend who had more of them than she knew what to do with. They breed like buneary, you know," she said with a wink. "I wasn't sure who to give it to, but it looks like it decided for me."

He shot her an annoyed look. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, come on, you're already taking care of one pokemon. One more won't make that much of a difference."

"Look how hyper it is, though."

"But it likes you!"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

She smiled sweetly at him.

"Fine," he sighed. "One more for the menagerie, I guess. This is the last one, though."

 _It's a male, by the way,_ Cutter added.

"Yes, I can see that it's a male, Cutter."

 _Just thought I'd mention it, since you sometimes seem to have trouble discerning genders._

"I told you already that I didn't know all gallade were male. Not everyone has the pokedex memorized, you know."

"Now that that's settled," Doctor Lynd interjected, "You'll need to feed your eevee regularly and give him plenty of exercise. I'll also print up a sheet detailing other things you'll need, depending on how you plan to guide its development."

Ryan looked down at the eevee, who was now chewing on the sleeve of his shirt. "Wonderful."

"And he'll need a name."

# # #

Several days later, Ryan sat on the grass outside the clinic enjoying the late summer sun. He held in his hand a tennis ball - now slightly damp after several retrievals by the eevee scampering excitedly in front of him. He threw the ball hard down the grassy hill and watched the eevee take off like a shot in pursuit. "I'm starting to wonder if taking Buster was such a good idea," he said to Cutter, who sat nearby.

 _Why do you say that?_

"Because all he does is eat, sleep, shit and run around like a maniac."

 _Doctor Lynd did say that eevee are very energetic, especially when they're young. And Buster is very fond of you._

"Yeah, he likes me so much, he crawls in bed with me every night."

 _What's wrong with that? You and I sleep in the same bed._

"What's wrong is that he doesn't care what position his body is in when he falls asleep. I woke up yesterday with a pair of furry nuts in my face."

 _Yes, that did look a bit - odd._

"So why didn't you move him before I woke up?'

 _Well, you both looked so peaceful and I didn't want to disturb you,_ Cutter said, suppressing a snicker.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Ryan said, throwing a small dirt clod at Cutter. "Just for that, you get to mow the lawn next time."

Buster came running back, the tennis ball in his mouth almost too big for it to carry. He dropped the ball at Ryan's feet and wagged his big, fluffy tail.

 _You're not really going to give him back, are you?_ Cutter asked softly.

Ryan sighed and gave Buster a scratch on the head. "No, I suppose not. Doctor Lynd would probably get all sad and disappointed and stuff if I did. Speaking of which..." Ryan nodded toward the figure waddling toward them.

"Hello, Ryan," Doctor Lynd said as she ambled up to the group. "I'm glad to see that you and Buster are getting along."

Ryan offered a steadying hand as she lowered herself awkwardly to sit on the grass. "Don't you think you should take some time off," he said. "You're not getting around so well and you look like you're going to pop any minute now."

"I get around well enough," she replied, "and when I 'pop', as you so eloquently put it, it won't much matter where I am, so I might as well keep busy. And speaking of keeping busy, I have something you might be interested in."

"Do tell," Ryan said, eyeing Buster as he began rolling around on his back.

"The owner of a machine shop in town is having a problem with some pokemon that have moved into his shop and started harassing the employees. He needs someone to get them out so they can get back to work."

"That's not really my area of expertise. Why doesn't he get a professional pokemon trainer to handle it?"

"Because there aren't any League trainers in town right now and word has started getting around about what you did at the NuGen facility."

"Cutter did most of the work with that, really."

"Then take him with you. The owner of the shop is offering to pay a very reasonable fee for the service and you did say you were looking for ways to make a little extra money." She gave him a nudge on the shoulder. "What harm is there in taking a look? If you check it out and you still think it's something you can't handle, you can always turn the job down."

Ryan considered for a moment. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least look into it."

"That's the spirit! You should take Buster with you, too. He could use the exercise and his keen sense of smell might come in handy."

"You just don't want him zipping around the clinic."

"He is your responsibility, you know."

"Thanks for reminding me."

# # #

Ryan and his pokemon came to a large cinder block building on the far side of town. A faded sign that read "North Star Metal and Machine" hung over the door. As they approached, a tall man standing out front wearing a flannel shirt and jeans came up to meet them. "Are you the ones the veterinarian sent?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm Ryan Meadows. Doctor Lynd said you have a pokemon problem."

The man extended a meaty hand. "Indeed I do. Name's Lars. I own this shop. I hope you can do something about this."

Ryan shook Lars' hand which swallowed his own as if it were a child's. "Why don't you tell me what's been happening from the beginning."

"A few days ago, the drill press started acting up, so we opened it up to see what was wrong. When we did, the press shocked one of my workers."

"What's so weird about that?"

"Nothing, except that the main circuit breaker for the press was turned off. There was no power to the machine at all when it shocked him."

"Ah. Well, that would be unusual, then."

"It gets worse. Soon after, the other machines in the shop started acting up, too, shocking and even throwing parts of the machines at the workers. It got so bad, I had to send everyone home before someone got seriously hurt." He turned to face the building, crossing his arms. "I think my shop is infested with ghost pokemon. I hope you can get rid of them because I'm losing money every day my shop stays closed."

"Ghost pokemon, huh? What do you think, Cutter?"

 _My abilities are affective against such creatures. I believe I can handle them if the need arises._

"Alright," he said to Lars, "I can't promise you anything, but we'll have a look."

Lars led Ryan in through the front office and to a door in the back behind the counter. "This leads to the shop area," Lars said, unlocking the door. "Good luck, and be careful."

Ryan and his pokemon entered the workshop, a room the size of a small warehouse filled with large, industrial machines interspersed with racks, trays and bins full of metal products of all shapes and sizes. Sunlight slanting in from narrow windows near the ceiling cut through the gloom of the otherwise dark interior. A flip of the light switches near the door produced nothing from the large fluorescent fixtures overhead. Ryan turned to his pokemon. "Cutter, stick close. Buster, try to stay out of..." Ryan paused as Buster raised up, putting his paws on Ryan's leg. Ryan sighed and cast a weary look at Cutter. "Just tell him not to get near anything dangerous, okay?"

The trio made their way slowly through the shadowy interior, their footsteps on the concrete floor ringing out through the utter silence. The scent of machine oil hung heavy in the air. The farther in they went, the more evident became the shop's disarray, with piles of sheet metal cast haphazardly among the orderly rows of heavy machinery and tools left hastily behind on workbenches.

Dark, shapes occasionally appeared to move at the edges of Ryan's vision, but when scrutinized, revealed themselves to be only irregular shadows cast by collections of metal in the dim light.

A clattering of metal falling to the ground echoed from a distant corner of the workshop. Cutter's head swiveled toward the noise. _What was that?_

"Don't know," Ryan replied. "Want to check it out?"

 _Not really, but I suppose we should._

Ryan spun around at another clattering of metal, from the opposite direction but nearer. Buster lowered his head, growling.

 _Something is here,_ Cutter said, extending his arms into blades. _Be ready._

The whine of a band saw pierced the air, followed by the hum of other machines spinning up one by one, each closer to the group than the last. Ryan started backing toward an empty workbench when suddenly, a circular piece of metal came hurtling through the gloom toward him, whizzing past his head close enough that he could feel the wind of its passage on his cheek. Cutter knocked another flying piece of metal aimed at Ryan aside with a sweep of an arm blade. _I can't see where they're coming from, can you?_

Ryan saw shadowy shapes separate from some of the machines and begin floating toward him. Bolts of electricity began arcing between some of the hovering shapes, briefly illuminating them enough for Ryan to see that they consisted of collections of gears, cogs and various inner workings of the machines they arose from. "Yeah, I see them," he said, counting more than half a dozen of the animated assemblages, "and I think we might be in over our heads, here."

 _I agree,_ Cutter responded, facing three more that emerged with a clangor of metal rods being knocked from their racks.

"Okay, everyone, back to the door!" Ryan called out, and began hurrying toward the entrance. The sounds of crashing metal and staccato pops of electricity followed behind them as they fled. Their escape, however was cut short as more of the gyrating assemblages of metal cut them off, forcing them to seek an alternate path. After several twists and turns dodging their attackers they found that they were being pushed farther from the exit, not closer.

Two of the animated clusters of machine parts harried them close from behind. When one of the pursuers swooped low near Buster, the eevee growled and turned on its attacker. The eevee leapt high, slamming its body against the spinning metal gears. The metallic creature, unfazed, responded by sending one of its clustered gears shooting back at Buster like a spinning blade. Buster screeched in pain as the gear slammed into its tiny body, sending it tumbling into a large workbench.

Ryan turned and saw Buster lying unmoving on floor and swore. "Cutter, watch my back!" he shouted as he grabbed a length of aluminum rod from a nearby rack and charged the cluster of gears advancing on Buster. Ryan swung the rod like a staff, smacking the metal creature several times while dancing nimbly away from its swooping counterattacks. Behind him, he heard Cutter's blades ringing off the body of the second creature. Finally, seeing an opening, Ryan drove the metal rod into the rotating gears, the soft aluminum wrapping up around them, binding and fouling their movement. With a raspy, grinding noise, it retreated.

Ryan scooped up Buster and ducked behind the large workbench while Cutter, arm blades aglow with a shimmering purple light, drove the other metal creature back. Ryan pulled out his cell phone, popped up just long enough to snap a photo of the retreating creature into his pokedex app, then hunkered back down behind the cover of the workbench. He then turned his attention to his eevee who whined piteously in his arms, his white ruff streaked red with blood. "Dammit, Buster," he said softly, "Why'd you have to do something foolish like that?"

Cutter joined them behind the workbench. _It appears they've been driven back for the moment._ His eyes fell upon the wounded eevee. _How bad is it?_

"Bad enough. I don't have anything to help him, either. I should've known something like this might happen, I just... I've never done anything like this before."

 _Don't worry, I can help._

"You can?"

 _Yes. Set him down on the floor._

Ryan did as instructed. Cutter placed his hands on Buster and they began to glow with a soft, pulsing light. Slowly, the wounds on Buster's side began to close.

"I didn't know you had healing abilities, Cutter," Ryan said.

 _One of my many skills._

"Wait a minute. If you can do that, then why didn't you heal yourself after the houndoom attacked you back at NuGen?"

 _Because the healing pulses of psychic energy I generate have to resonate between myself and another living creature in order to build up enough power to be effective. And since the energy waves peak on the odd reflections and through on the even ones, I can only heal another, not myself._

"Ah. Right." Ryan's phone chimed, drawing his attention. "Got a match on the photo," he said as he began reading the information being displayed by the pokedex. "According to this, the things attacking us aren't ghost pokemon. They're metallic pokemon called 'klang'. Let's see, they shock, throw gears... Yeah, pretty much figured that last part out already."

 _This is not good news. My abilities aren't going to do much good against metallic pokemon._

"Not what I wanted to hear right now, Cutter."

 _There's a larger door near the back of the workshop. Couldn't we escape there?_

"I already thought about that, but I saw that it was padlocked from the outside when we arrived. Besides," he said, peeking up over the workbench, "it looks like there are even more of them on that side of the shop." Ryan ducked his head back down just as a spinning gear flew toward him, embedding itself in a nearby wall. It quivered there for a moment then tore itself loose, flying back the way it came. "Dammit! Looks like they're coming back. We're going to have to make a break for it."

 _I'm almost done. Just give me a few more..._ Cutter pulled his hands away as Buster's body began to ripple and convulse.

"What's happening? What did you do?"

 _Nothing! All I did was heal him!_

The eevee's body seemed to inflate, its limbs growing longer in short, rapid spurts. Its fur began to change as well, its color fading from a medium brown to a light grey.

 _Wait, I think - he's evolving!_

A wave of expansion rippled from Buster's head, down through his rib cage and along his spine, muscle and bone thickening in its wake. The rapid growth continued until at last, when the final throes of his metamorphosis ceased, his entire body had enlarged to more than triple its original size. Buster rolled to his feet and shook himself out vigorously, shedding the white ruff of fur from his neck, leaving a uniformly smooth coat of glossy, grey fur slashed with angular black stripes.

Ryan had little time to marvel at the sudden change in his pokemon as more gears came flying over the top of the workbench from the group of klang advancing on their position. Ryan saw Buster's fur lay down against against his body then harden into a shiny, metallic coat. Buster emitted a high-pitched screech then charged headlong at the klang. A pair of gears shot from the attacking pokemon but bounced harmlessly off Buster's metallic coat as he dove at the klang, his slashing metallic claws sending sparks flying off their gearlike bodies.

"Alright, let's move!" Ryan said to Cutter. "Tell Buster to make for the door."

The trio started fighting their way through the workshop, Buster sweeping a path forward through the klang, their gears grinding ineffectively against his armored body while Cutter held off the klang pressing in from the rear.

As they neared the exit, Ryan stumbled and a klang that slipped in from their flank closed in on him. Ryan looked desperately around for a weapon and spied a hand drill lying on the floor a short distance away. He scrambled for it, snatching it up as the klang swooped in to strike. He held it up and pulled the drill's trigger, its metal-boring bit spinning with a whine. The klang stopped, hovering in place before the drill in Ryan's hand.

 _Ryan, something strange is happening_.

"What do you mean, something strange?"

 _The klang have all stopped. It looks like they're focused on you. And I sense a change in their mood. They feel - expectant._

"Expectant?"

 _Yes. It actually feels quite a bit like Buster does when he wants you to throw a tennis ball for him._

"Really?" Ryan released the drill's trigger then revved it a couple times. The klang revved its gears in response, echoed by a similar sound from the other klang surrounding the group. He slowly waved the drill back and forth, which the klang nearest him followed intently.

 _You definitely have their attention, now._

Ryan stood, then slowly walked toward a nearby bench vise which held a square piece of sheet metal clamped in its jaws. Ryan waggled the drill at the klang then drilled a hole in the metal, the klang hovering near as he did. When he finished, the klang bobbled up and down, its gears revving excitedly. Ryan set the drill down on the bench, then stepped away.

The klang hovered over the drill, enveloping it into its gearlike structure, then used it to drill another hole next to the one Ryan had just made. When it was done, the other klang converged on the first and Ryan watched as they passed the drill among themselves, taking turns making more holes in the sheet metal.

"I'll be damned. Hey, Cutter, can you talk to these things?"

 _Yes, I believe so. Why?_

"Because I think I have an idea."

# # #

Lars rushed over to Ryan and his pokemon as they emerged from the workshop. "You are alright, I hope? I heard quite the commotion from inside."

"Yes, we're all fine except for maybe a few bumps and bruises," Ryan said, "and we have some very good news for you."

"Oh, thank goodness," Lars said. "So you got rid of them, then?"

"Nope," Ryan said with a grin, "they're all still in there."

Lars frowned. "I don't understand. How is this good news if I can't open my shop?"

"Let me explain. You see, you don't have ghost pokemon running around in there, you have machine pokemon called 'klang'. Apparently they moved in a week or so ago, attracted by all the machinery you have here. It turns out that they aren't vicious, just territorial. The reason they attacked the workers is because when they opened up that drill press and started working on it, the klang thought the workers were trying to force them out of their home. That's also why they came after us, at first."

"I see. But how does this help me?"

"Because they don't just like machines, they like doing stuff with them. I showed them how to drill a hole in some metal and they started making more holes in perfectly spaced rows. I'll bet you can train them to do just about anything in that shop. With all the extra help, I bet your workers could double their output - maybe more." Ryan held up his cell phone which currently displayed an encyclopedia page on the klang. "I also looked up some info on these critters and it says that they can integrate themselves into pieces of machinery, even growing replacement parts for them when they wear out."

"I admit, that sounds very interesting, but won't they be a danger to the employees?"

"Actually, Cutter, here, had a talk with them and they agreed to play nice with everyone as long as nobody tries to kick them out. They'll work for you and even keep all your machines in top condition. All you have to do is feed them a bit of scrap metal now and then, and maybe a bit of electricity."

"I had no idea they could be so useful. If what you're saying is true, I'd gladly let them stay. I'd like to see this for myself before I call my workers back, though."

"Of course. Let's go inside and I can get you acquainted with your new tenants."

# # #

"So," Doctor Lynd said, settling back into a chair, "you not only solved his pokemon problem but you actually helped his business and the pokemon themselves at the same time. I have to say, I'm impressed."

Ryan quirked a small smile. "Things got pretty dicey for a minute but we managed to pull it off in the end."

"That still doesn't quite explain how Buster evolved into his new form. I don't think I've ever seen an eevee evolve like this before."

"Apparently, no one else has, either. Because I'm the first one to ID it, I even got to submit a name for it."

"So, what did you decide to name this new species?"

"Metalleon. Seemed appropriate, since he's all metal-y. I submitted it less than an hour ago and I've already got pokemon researchers blowing up my e-mail. Anyway, I'm going to go grab something to eat. Could you give Buster a once-over? Like I said, things got pretty hairy in that shop and he took a beating before he..." Ryan made a vague, sweeping gesture at Buster who cocked his head in response. "...you know."

She waved him away and turned her attention to Buster, calling him up onto an exam table. "So, Cutter," she began once Ryan had left the room, "how are things working out with you and Ryan?" she asked.

Cutter shrugged. _Okay, I guess._

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic," she said, examining Buster's rib cage. "Is something wrong?"

 _No, not exactly. It's just that I'm having a hard time understanding him._

"How so?"

 _Sometimes he feels so - distant. Whenever I'm around him for extended periods, he gets uncomfortable, sometimes even irritable. At first I thought he just wanted more space, but whenever I distanced myself for any length of time, it elicited feelings of anxiety from him._

"I see. He's probably still adjusting to having someone like you around."

 _I suppose._

"You've only known each other for a little while. Just give it some time."

Cutter nodded silently.

"And you," she said to Buster, running her hands through his fur, "are made of some pretty tough stuff because I can't find a thing wrong with you. In fact, you look..." A sharp intake of breath cut off her words as she suddenly bent forward, holding her stomach.

Cutter rushed to her side. _What's the matter? Is something wrong?_

"No, but I need you to go get Ryan. Tell him I'm going into labor."

Cutter dashed off to the kitchen and returned a short time later with Ryan in tow. He rushed over to Doctor Lynd who stood leaning against a counter. "Okay, what do we do?" he asked frantically. "Should I call someone? Should I get you something?"

"Ryan, calm down," she said evenly.

"Do I need to call the hospital? Where's my phone? I just had the damn thing! Where'd I put it? I think it's in the kitchen..."

"Ryan!" Doctor Lynd's raised voice immediately silenced him. "Listen to me. I've done this many times before and we have plenty of time. Now, I want you to stop, close your eyes and take three deep breaths."

"Okay, but I just want to make sure..."

"Three deep breaths, Ryan. Eyes closed. Now." She waited until he complied, counting out each breath for him. "Good. Now, you're going to get my keys out of my purse and you're going to drive me slowly - _slowly_ \- to the hospital, okay?

"Okay," he said, and began rummaging through her purse which sat on a nearby table. As he returned with her keys she clutched her stomach again.

"Change of plans," she said through gritted teeth. "You're going to help me up onto that exam table and we're going to deliver this baby here."

"What are you talking about? You just said we have plenty of time!"

"Those contractions were about two minutes apart. This baby's coming and it's coming now."

Ryan's eyes widened. "But I can't deliver a baby. I don't know how!"

"Fortunately, I do, and everything we'll need is here. Now prop up the exam table, get me on it and I'll tell you what supplies and instruments we'll need."

The minutes that followed were a flurry of activity as Ryan scurried from cabinet to cabinet retrieving towels, disinfectant, latex gloves and various medical instruments and tools.

Ryan's pokemon stood nearby in quiet anticipation, watching as Doctor Lynd lay on the exam table. Long, measured breaths were punctuated by words of instruction and brief cries of pain. Sounds of exertion and words of encouragement began to overlap and grow in intensity, reaching a crescendo as Doctor Lynd uttered long cry of pain which was joined by a another, higher-pitched cry.

Ryan held the squalling newborn, still dripping with its birth fluids, in his gloved hands, "It's a boy," he declared.

"A boy!" Doctor Lynd breathed. "Let me see him."

Ryan laid the infant on his mother's stomach, careful not to over-stretch the umbilical cord that still tethered him to his mother's body. She looked down at him, her face still flushed with the exertions of her labor, and beamed.

Ryan eyed the newborn with concern. "Are you sure he's supposed to be that color? That doesn't look like a very healthy shade of purple."

"He's fine, Ryan. You can relax," She said, grasping the infant's tiny hand. "You did an amazing job."

Ryan took a clean cloth and dabbed the sweat off Doctor Lynd's face. "You did all the work. All I did was play catcher."

"You know, you have an uncanny talent for underestimating yourself."

 _Buster wants to know if you want him to clean the baby off for you,_ Cutter said, gesturing toward the Ryan's metalleon who was eyeing the still-wet infant.

"Um, that's okay. I got it," Ryan said and began carefully wiping off the tiny newborn with a towel. "So, what's his name?" he asked.

"Alexander Ryan Lynd."

"Wait, did you say Alexander _Ryan_..."

"My husband James wanted his middle name to be Bartholomew," she said, making a face. "I never liked it, but since we agreed that I'd pick the name if it was a girl and he'd pick the name if it was a boy, there wasn't much I could say. Now you've given me a very good excuse to give him what I think is a much nicer name. If its alright with you, of course," she added.

"Sure, Doctor Lynd. I don't mind."

"Ryan, you don't have to keep calling me Doctor Lynd, especially not after today. You can call me Karen."

"Karen," he said, testing the name out. "I don't know. It feels kinda weird - like calling your mother by her first name."

"I see," she said, patting him on the arm. "In that case, Doctor Lynd will do just fine."

# # #

Ryan walked out with Doctor Lynd as the paramedics wheeled her and her baby out of the clinic on a gurney. He and his pokemon stood outside in the cool evening air and watched until the ambulance drove out of sight. "Well, you wanted to know how little humans were made," he said to Cutter. "What did you think?"

 _I must admit, it was rather messy and a little frightening._ Cutter paused, then looked up at Ryan. _Nevertheless, watching a new life come into being... It was a profound experience and I feel privileged to have been a part of it. Don't you feel the same way?_

"What I feel," he said, stretching his arms over his head, "is tired. We fought our way through a metal madhouse, made peace with a bunch of pokemon who tried to take our heads off only minutes before and delivered a baby - _a freaking baby_ \- all in one day. That ekans in the back can give the stink-eye to someone else tonight because I'm calling it a day."


	3. Stormclouds on the Horizon

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Storm Clouds on the Horizon**

Arceus stood at the edge of the mountain plateau focusing his gaze down on the land below, his brow drawn taut over eyes grown tired from their straining. His head raised with the awareness that others had appeared on the mountain with him. His surprise lasted only a moment with the realization that only one was so deft with space to create a portal even he didn't notice until it was gone. "Hello, Palkia," he said without looking. "It is good that you were able to come so quickly."

"Your words seemed urgent," Palkia said, "though you should know that I was in the middle of something rather important. Nonetheless, I managed to find the triplets as you requested."

At that, Arceus turned to face his visitors. Foremost was Palkia - guardian of the spatial continuum. Unlike the jagged profile of his brother Dialga, Palkia's form was composed of graceful contours, his long neck curving into his body which swept gracefully down into a strong, yet finely tapered tail.

The sunlight reflecting off of the pearlescent jewels in Palkia's shoulders limned the three tiny forms floating in the air next to Palkia's head in a shimmering glow. Each of the three was marked with a red jewel on their foreheads as well as on each of their twin tails. Their appearance was practically identical except for the coloration of their heads: the first being yellow, the second pink and the third blue.

"Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, welcome," Arceus said to the yellow, pink and blue-headed pokemon respectively. He turned to Palkia. "What is this important matter you spoke of?"

"The tectonic activity along the western edge of the Pacific Rim has been unusually severe," Palkia said. "The coastlines from Kanto to Sinnoh have been taking a pounding from tsunamis and earthquakes."

"That is troubling, but how does that involve you?"

"Groudon is working to relieve the tectonic stresses but since the active areas are along the ocean floor, he needs Kyogre to keep him alive while he works deep underwater." Palkia sighed. "You know how they bicker. Without me to watch them, they wouldn't get anything done."

"Will they be able to work in your absence?" Arceus asked.

Palkia quirked a half-smile. "Don't worry. I managed to coax Rayquaza down from the sky long enough to keep an eye on them. He'll make sure they get the job done."

The pink-headed pokemon darted forward. _I hope you told him to keep clear of the humans,_ it said, its psychic voice piping and bubbly. _Every time that great big garter snake shows up, he scares people so much they think it's the end of the world!_

 _I'm sure everything will be fine, Mesprit,_ the yellow-headed one said. _More to the point, judging by the fact that Arceus has called not only the three of us here but Palkia as well, it stands to reason that Arceus has a matter of no small significance to discuss with us._

"Indeed I do, Uxie," Arceus said.

 _Then spill it!_ the blue-headed one interjected, bobbing anxiously in the air. _The sooner we get started, the better!_

 _He_ was _spilling it,_ Mesprit said, pointing one of its tails at Azelf, _until_ you _interrupted him._

 _Stop your prattling, both of you!_ Uxie snapped. It turned and gestured to Arceus as graciously as its tiny arms could manage. _Please, continue._

"The Winds of Time have shifted and grow colder with each passing day," Arceus said, addressing the group. "I believe that events are now in motion that, if left to progress on their own, will prove disastrous for us all. I need the four of you to investigate and see what can be done."

 _Where should we begin?_ Azelf asked.

"There, to the south," Arceus said, nodding toward where he'd been gazing. "I wish I could tell you more, but for now, what we are chasing is as a scent on the wind."

The three tiny pokemon nodded in unison, then disappeared with a pop of displaced air, leaving only Palkia and Arceus on the mountaintop.

"I grow tired of cleaning up after my brother's negligence," Palkia said with a voice like distant thunder. "If things don't change, there will be a reckoning. That, I promise."

Arceus watched the space around Palkia twist and draw around him like a cloak. In a heartbeat, it unfolded and Palkia had disappeared. "I fear that before this is over," he said to the emptiness where Palkia stood, "there will be a reckoning for us all."

# # #

Cutter stood at the window of the room that he and Ryan shared, gazing out at the forest just past the hill upon which the clinic sat. The song of starly perched in the oak trees was carried on the cool morning breeze that wafted in through the window which was opened just enough to keep the stuffiness out of the room. Cutter turned when he heard Ryan finally stirring from his slumber.

Ryan pulled the covers back and pushed himself slowly upright. Cutter's eyes fell on the long, thin scars that slanted across Ryan's back in pale streaks. He allowed his gaze to linger only a moment before looking away. Ryan always glared at him whenever he caught him staring at them.

Cutter sat down and edged up next to Ryan who sat on the edge of the bed in his boxers. He leaned into Ryan's side, soaking in the warmth of his body. These few early morning moments while Ryan slowly roused to wakefulness were the only times Ryan didn't seem to mind such contact.

Ryan stretched and yawned, then groped for his cell phone on the small table next to the bed. "Let's see," he muttered, flipping through his messages. "Pictures of Alexander," he leafed through several photos of Doctor Lynd's infant son being held by his fourteen year old sister Christina and his seven year old sister Jennifer, "and a message from Jennifer: 'My little brother is awesome. You're the best. Heart emoji, heart emoji, smiley face, heart emoji.' More e-mails about Buster..." he stopped, frowning when the screen flickered erratically. The messages disappeared, replaced by garbled data.

 _Something wrong?_ Cutter asked.

"Not sure. Could be a glitch," he said as he fiddled with his phone. A short time later, the screen returned to normal. "I think I got it back to... oh dammit. It's a virus."

 _A virus?_

"Yeah. A bit of malicious code that people with too much time on their hands like to cook up that makes computing devices go haywire. See here," he said, pointing to a tiny image flitting around the home screen, "viruses sometimes leave a calling card, like this little bird thing that's bouncing around the screen."

Cutter leaned in, scrutinizing the phone's screen. _That's not a virus. That's a porygon._

Ryan looked at Cutter. "What the hell's a porygon?"

 _It's a pokemon comprised entirely of computer code. What's more,_ he said, focusing on the birdlike image, _I think I know this porygon. May I?_ Cutter extended a hand toward the phone.

"Sure." He handed the phone to Cutter who hopped off the bed and placed it on the floor face up.

 _Hey, Porygon, it's me, Cutter,_ he said, leaning over the phone. _Come on out._

A moment later, a beam of light issued from the screen of the phone, terminating in a point around which red and blue geometric shapes materialized and assembled into a polygonal birdlike creature that hovered in the air before them. It swivelled to face Cutter and emitted an electronic trill.

"I thought you said these things were made of computer code," Ryan said, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously. "It looks pretty real to me. And how exactly do you know this porygon?"

 _They_ are _made of computer code. It's... complicated. And this porygon used to work with me at NuGen._

"Okay, but what's it doing here?"

The porygon emitted a series of beeps, buzzes and twitters which Cutter listened to intently. _It seems that the higher-ups at NuGen were quite upset after the incident with Doctor Talbot so they sent a team over to find out what he'd been doing at the facility. Afterward, they started purging all the data related to Doctor Talbot's research. Even though Porygon never worked on Doctor Talbot's secret program, he overheard that they were going to purge him too, just to be on the safe side, so he left. He said he found me by tracking the video you uploaded back to your phone._

"So he came to see you?"

 _Yes and no. Now that he's left NuGen he's looking for a safe place to live._ Cutter looked up at Ryan with hopeful eyes. _You'll let him stay, won't you?_

"Another one? Oh, come on, Cutter, I already have two pokemon."

 _He won't be a bother. In fact, he likes staying inside of computing devices most of the time. He can live in your phone and you won't even know that he's there. And he's really good at processing and organizing data, too. I promise you won't regret having him around._

Ryan looked at Cutter and the porygon then sighed heavily. "Okay, he can stay, but this is absolutely the last one, got it? And I'm not calling it 'Porygon'. It sounds like a skin condition." He regarded the porygon with folded arms. "So you're good at finding stuff, huh? How about I call you 'Trace'?"

It beeped and nodded excitedly.

 _By the way, Doctor Lynd is back and she's waiting for you downstairs,_ Cutter added.

"Really? I didn't think she'd be back so soon."

 _And she brought rawst berry muffins. I had one already and it was very good. Don't worry,_ he added, noting his crestfallen expression, _she saved some for you._

Ryan quickly got dressed and headed out of the room. "Hey, Cutter," he said, pausing at the doorway, "do me a favor and let Buster out".

Cutter glanced over at the pile of towels near the sofa bed where a gray, furry tail suddenly poked out, wagging energetically.

# # #

Ryan entered the kitchen and found Doctor Lynd sitting at the table, looking down at her newborn held in her arms. He paused when he saw that the top buttons on her shirt were undone and she was holding the baby to her breast. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude," he said. "I'll come back later."

"Don't be silly," she said, smiling. "Come sit with me. I want to catch up with you and find out how things have been in my absence. And I brought something for you and Cutter." She nodded to the plate of muffins on the table.

Ryan sat down across the table from Doctor Lynd and grabbed one of the muffins. "I actually expected you to be gone longer than just a week. Are you sure you're up to working again?"

"I'll be fine. I did the same thing with Jennifer when she was born. Besides, I have help."

Ryan took a bite of the muffin. The rawst berries provided a tart counterpoint to the overall sweetness of the muffin. "This is pretty good," he said around a mouthful. "Where'd you get them?"

"I'm glad you like them," Doctor Lynd smiled. "I actually made them myself."

Ryan nodded approvingly then quickly dispatched the first muffin and started in on a second. "Not much has happened while you've been out. There have only been a couple patients brought in with minor injuries. Cutter actually healed them up himself. It kind of wears him out if he has to do it too much but he can handle the small stuff."

Doctor Lynd buttoned her shirt back up and held her baby to her shoulder, gently patting it on the back. "Have my girls been coming in to help like I told them?"

"Yeah. Christina and Jennifer took turns coming in after school to pitch in with cleanup or moving supplies and stuff."

"I'm glad to see everything worked out, then." She looked down at her baby, then glanced at Ryan. "Would you like to hold Alexander?"

"Oh, I don't think I should," Ryan said around the last of his second muffin. "I've never held a baby before and I'd probably do it wrong."

"You never have? In that case you definitely need to hold him." She stood up and walked around the table. "Just hold him like I'm doing - body with the right arm, head with the left. Its easy."

"I don't know," Ryan said, eyeing the infant warily. "He probably won't like me."

"Babies like everyone. Now here," she said, settling the baby into his arms before he could object further. "So, how has Buster been?"

"Pretty good," he said, looking down with mild discomfiture at the infant in his arms. "His fur's all shiny and his stripes have gotten darker now that I put bluk berries in with his food like you told me."

"I thought that would help. Bluk berries are rich in manganese which most pokemon with metallic body compositions need." She went to the refrigerator and poured two glasses of orange juice. "You know, I've always been fascinated by eevee evolutions."

"Why's that?"

"Because their evolutions often tell stories about the people they're close to."

"How do you figure? A lot of them evolve by being exposed to energetic minerals."

"That's true. In some cases, exposure to certain types of stones or crystals acts as a catalyst for their changes." She returned to the table and set one of the glasses in front of Ryan. "But more often it's their connection to their human partners that trigger their metamorphosis. Eevee that become espeon and umbreon are perfect examples of this." she returned to her chair and regarded Ryan with a tilted head and a small smile "You know, I can't help wondering if there's a story behind Buster, too."

Ryan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your eevee had a very short childhood. It wound up in a dangerous situation, got hurt and grew up much more quickly than anyone would've expected. Now, because of that, it walks around with a coat of armor to protect it from the dangers of the world." She looked at the baby in his arms. "But sometimes not."

"Or it could be that it was surrounded by a whole bunch of metal when it changed."

She shrugged. "It could be that. But I do know one thing: sometimes our pokemon know us better than we know ourselves."

The appearance of a pokemon at the kitchen door diverted Ryan's attention. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the towering, brown-skinned, broad-shouldered monstrosity that literally filled the doorway. It stood upright with a thick, muscular tail trailing behind it. So massive was it that it had to duck its head and turn slightly sideways to fit through the doorway as it entered. Powerful muscles flexed beneath its thick hide with every step as it made its way toward the table.

Ryan quickly stood and backed away a few steps. "Please tell me one of your patients isn't loose, Doc."

"It's okay, Ryan," she said, "this is one of mine. Her name is Kala. She's a kangaskhan."

The kangaskhan reached toward the baby still held in Ryan's arms with a hand tipped with large, thick claws. Ryan pulled back, turning away. "Well, it looks dangerous as hell. Are you sure you want it near your baby?"

"Kala has been a faithful and trusted nursemaid to every single one of my children for the past seventeen years. In fact, I brought her here to help look after Alexander while I work."

Ryan blinked in surprise. "This giant slab of meat and claws is your nursemaid?"

"Her name is Kala," she said firmly, "and yes, she is. Give Alexander to her and you can see for yourself."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Seriously?"

"Yes Ryan. Give Kala the baby."

Ryan looked up with a dubious eye at the kangaskhan who towered over him by a foot and a half and held the baby out ever-so-slightly away from his body.

Kala reached down, deftly scooping Alexander up in its giant, clawed hands and settled him gently in her arms with practiced grace. She dipped her head down, nuzzling the baby's cheek, making a soft burbling sound.

Ryan watched the enormous pokemon as it handled the baby. Seeing no complaint from the infant, he shrugged then walked to a window and looked outside where he saw Buster lying on the grass enjoying the late-morning sun. "So, what did your husband think about your impromptu name change for Alexander?"

"He was so happy that we finally had a boy, he didn't care. I can understand how he felt. I wanted a boy pretty badly myself. Don't get me wrong," she added, "I love my girls more than anything, but after three of them, I was ready for a change."

"I was just worried that he might have been less than pleased about it and it would wind up causing some bad blood."

"He approves, if that's what you're worried about," she said. She stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I wanted to thank you for what you did for me and my son. You showed real grace under pressure, you know. Believe me when I say that's an uncommon quality."

He turned to face her and shrugged. "I just did what needed doing."

"You may not think much of it, but it means a great deal to me." She took his hand in both of hers and smiled. "Thank you, Ryan."

He stood unmoving for a short time in uneasy silence then nodded his head. "Sure. No problem."

Kala sniffed at the baby then drew back with narrowed eyes. She looked at Doctor Lynd and made a throaty, rumbling noise.

"I take it you've never changed a diaper before, either," she said to Ryan.

"No. Why?"

"Because you're about to learn another important life skill."

# # #

"That was foul," Ryan said, walking down the hallway toward the waiting room. "There's gotta be something wrong with that baby's guts."

"That's just how they are at this age," Doctor Lynd said, following after him. "You'll have to get used to it when you have children of your own."

Ryan turned around. "Who said I wanted to have any kids, especially if I have to clean up a toxic spill like that ten times a day."

"You say that now, but trust me, you'll change your mind when you find the right girl."

"Whatever. Seriously, though, did a grimer crawl into that kid's diaper and die? I almost puked." Ryan closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm going outside to get some air."

Before Ryan could leave, the front door opened and two girls walked in whom Ryan recognized as Doctor Lynd's daughters Christina and Jennifer. Buster trotted alongside Jennifer as she entered. Christina, the older of the two, waved a greeting to Ryan then darted up to her mother and began fussing over the baby.

"I didn't expect to see you two here today," Doctor Lynd said, handing Alexander over to Christina.

"Today's full of surprises," Christina said with a grin. "The next one should be coming any second now."

A moment later, the door opened again and two more people entered the clinic. The first - a blonde-haired man of average height but robust build - Ryan recognized as Doctor Lynd's husband James. The second person was someone new - a girl who looked to be about his own age who wore a white, short-sleeved shirt with a stylized poké ball graphic on the front and tight blue jeans. Her long, light brown hair was frosted blue at the tips.

"Stacy!" Doctor Lynd exclaimed and rushed forward, wrapping her up in a hug. "I thought you weren't going to be home for another few days."

"The tournament ran short," Stacy said, "and I wanted to see my baby brother."

"Ryan, I'd like to introduce you to my eldest daughter Stacy," Doctor Lynd said. "She just came back from a pokemon tournament in Driftveil City."

Ryan extended a hand to Stacy. "So you were in Unova, huh? I've never been to the east coast. What's it like?"

"Busy," she said, shaking his hand. "Castelia makes Angel City look sleepy. If you go upstate, though, there's a lot of woodland with sawsbuck all over the place."

"So, how did you do?" Doctor Lynd asked.

"Unfortunately, I got knocked out in the semifinals," Stacy replied. "But I got to battle the other semifinal loser for third place and I crushed him. I didn't win the tournament but a podium finish isn't bad, either. I'm now ranked seventeenth worldwide in team doubles."

Stacy's sisters cheered and congratulated her. Ryan, meanwhile, excused himself and busied himself with his duties around the clinic while Doctor Lynd and her family spent the next few hours catching up with Stacy.

Later that day, a parcel delivery truck arrived at the clinic with a package for Ryan. After signing for it, he examined the label and a grin spread across his face.

 _What is it?_ Cutter asked.

"Something cool," he replied. "Come around to the back of the clinic and I'll show you."

Cutter followed him to where the trash cans stood lined up along the back wall of the building. Ryan pulled a multitool out of his pocket and cut open the box. He reached inside and pulled out a leather sheath containing a bundle of three parallel rods made of a dull, aluminum-like metal, each about two feet in length. Ryan removed the rods from the sheath then turned the bundle over in his hands, examining it. "Oh, this is nice," he said, smiling. "He really outdid himself on this one."

 _So, what is it?_ Cutter asked.

Ryan pressed a catch on the middle rod and the other two rods swung free on hinges that Cutter could now see joined the rods together. The bundle swiveled open and locked into a single metal rod about six feet long. "It's a staff," Ryan said, holding up in front of him. "Specifically, its a metal, folding staff."

 _Who sent it to you?_

"I had Lars make it for me. You remember Lars from the machine shop? After we solved his klang problem he said that if I needed his help, all I had to do was ask. So I had him make me this sweet folding staff. It's made of metal from plates of shed lairon hide, so it's light, flexible and tough." He gave the staff a one-handed twirl. "Perfectly balanced and the hinges are rock-solid, too. That man is a real craftsman."

 _I take it you've used one of these before._

"I know a few moves," he said. He pressed the recessed catch in the middle of the staff and folded it back up, replacing it in its sheath. He slipped the sheath's buckled strap over his shoulder, settling it across his back. "Sits nice, too." His mouth set in a grim expression. "Next time some nasty business goes down, I'll be ready."

Later that day, as closing time drew near and Doctor Lynd's family began to leave, Ryan was approached by Christina.

"Stacy and I are going to be taking Jennifer on a camping trip to catch her first pokemon," she said, adjusting the tie that held her blonde hair in a ponytail. "How'd you like to come?"

"That's alright," Ryan said. "I have enough pokemon already."

"Then don't catch any. I know I don't plan to." She looked up at him with her bright, blue eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, it'll be fun. We're taking our family's RV which is pretty plush and there's this great little swimming spot we found along the river."

Ryan thought for a moment. "Maybe. But would your parents going to be okay with me tagging along?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"Because I doubt your mother would want some guy alone with her daughters on a camping trip."

"Please tell me you're not that clueless," Christina said. When she saw the dubious expression on his face she rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, then grabbed his arm and pulled him to the exam area where Doctor Lynd was sorting a rack of medications.

Doctor Lynd's eyes lifted from the bottles in front of her. "Yes?"

"Is it okay if Ryan comes along on our camping trip?" Christina asked.

"I think that's an excellent idea," Doctor Lynd said, smiling.

Ryan blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Doctor Lynd replied. "A few days out of the clinic would do you some good. Go have some fun. There'll be plenty of time to push a broom later."

"Great!" Christina said. "Stacy's going to be doing some shopping before we go. I'll have her drop by so you can pick up anything you need. Oh, and don't forget to bring something to swim in," she added with a grin.

# # #

Several days later, Ryan went with Stacy to pick up some supplies for the upcoming trip, including food, propane and an assortment of other basic camping gear. At the end of the shopping trip, Stacy brought them to a pokemon supply store.

"Last stop," Stacy said as they walked into the store. "We need to get some healing supplies and some poké balls for you and Jennifer."

"Me?" Ryan said. "I already told Christina I'm not interested in catching more pokemon."

"That may be, but if you run across dangerous wild pokemon in the woods, catching them is sometimes the best way to avoid getting hurt if things get nasty. Afterward, you can take them to a Pokemon Ranger if you don't want to keep them and they'll release them for you. Besides, my mother tells me you don't even have poké balls for your own pokemon."

"They seem to be doing fine as is."

"Maybe so, but if something happens and they get hurt, are you going to be able to carry them out yourself, especially if you're getting chased by a wild pokemon?"

"Alright, fine," Ryan sighed, "I see your point. I've never used a poké ball before, though. How exactly do they work?"

"Don't worry, there's nothing to it. When you're ready to catch a pokemon, all you have to do is activate the ball and throw it. You don't have to actually hit the pokemon with it, but you do want to get as close as you can. Once the proximity sensor on the ball detects a pokemon, the poké ball's conversion matrix turns the pokemon into energy and sucks it up. The conversion process isn't instantaneous, though, and even in an energetic state, a pokemon can still bust out of the poké ball before the conversion is complete. To keep that from happening, poké balls have two locking mechanisms: a maglock and a servo lock. The maglock is a series of electromagnets that hold the ball closed while the conversion process is underway. The servo lock is a mechanical linkage activated by a servo that physically locks the two halves of the poké ball together once the conversion process is complete. Once you hear the click of the servo lock engaging, that's when you know you've got 'em."

"Seems easy enough, but why don't they just make poké balls that lock as soon as they close? I mean, it seems like it would be pretty easy to make them with ratchet hinges or latches or something."

"Early poké balls were designed like that, but the problem was that they'd lock up while the pokemon was still fighting the conversion process. The ball would build up so much internal pressure, it would rupture if the pokemon managed to fight its way out. Sometimes the pressure would build up enough to make the ball explode, which sent shrapnel flying everywhere as well as leaving you with a pissed off wild pokemon to deal with. Either way, the ball would be a useless hunk of twisted metal afterward. The way they're built now, the most you'll have to do is replace a few components in the conversion matrix if a pokemon escapes. Sometimes all the ball needs is a recharge to get it working again.

Ryan scanned the shelves which contained a wide assortment of poké balls of different types and colors. "I didn't know there were so many different kinds. So, what's the difference between all of them?"

"Typically, the more expensive ones have stronger maglocks and faster conversion times, which makes it easier to catch more powerful pokemon. There are also specialty poké balls, too. For example, the Divemaster is optimized for catching aquatic pokemon. For especially tough catches, they make the MagnaCharger TX. Its high-energy capacitor banks take a while to charge up, but it makes their maglocks super strong. Most League trainers call them 'timer balls' because of their charge-up time and because they look a lot like kitchen timers from the front. The ones in the black and gold boxes over there are designed with extra-cushy deluxe interiors. They also have novelty versions that make little light shows when the pokemon comes out or project short holographic messages in the air. I once knew a guy who had one that said 'boo-yah!' in big balloon letters every time his emboar came out. He was a total douche, but it made me laugh."

"So after you catch a pokemon in one of these things, then what? They just start doing what you say?"

"What? Oh, hell no. Putting a pokemon in a poké ball doesn't make it any less wild. It knows it got beaten and that takes some of the fight out of it, but you still have to train it before you can do anything with it. That _is_ why we're called pokemon trainers, you know."

In the end, Ryan decided to pick up some standard poké balls and a belt designed for carrying them that also had pouches and loops for other miscellaneous gear.

At dawn the next day, Stacy and her sisters arrived at the clinic in an RV loaded with all the essentials for a long weekend of camping and pokemon hunting. Ryan, bleary-eyed from being awake much earlier than he was accustomed, loaded the majority of his few possessions while Jennifer excitedly regaled him with descriptions of the pokemon she hoped to catch on their excursion.

Ryan took advantage of the surprisingly spacious bed in the back of the RV to catch a few more hours of sleep while they traveled. When Ryan awoke, the scenery had changed. Looking out of the RV's large back window, he saw huge, towering pine trees crowded close on both sides of the two-lane road, the mid-morning sun peeking through occasional breaks in the canopy.

The paved road soon gave way to winding, uneven dirt roads which loudly jostled the RV's occupants and the gear stored within. A short while later, they parked at a small campsite among what Ryan thought was a rather small number of RVs, given the season. Stacy explained the scarcity of campers here was due to there being no hookups for water or electricity at this remote site, which made it far less crowded than others.

"Besides," Stacy said, "the whole point of camping is to get away from it all."

As Ryan watched everyone else exit the vehicle, he noticed a small, white squirrel-like pokemon with blue stripes sitting on Christina's shoulder. "I didn't know you had a pokemon," he remarked. "What kind is it?"

"She's a pachirisu," Christina said. "Her name's Twitch. I caught her here several years ago."

Ryan watched the pachirisu scramble down Christina's body then dart among the pine cones on the ground, foraging for seeds. "I can see why you call her that."

After unpacking a few essentials and setting up the RV's awning and some lawn chairs, Stacy rounded everyone up for a short hike. After the hours-long drive, everyone was eager to stretch their legs and Stacy said that the walk would let her figure out what kinds of pokemon were present and where.

As they made their way through the forest, Ryan took in the unfamiliar sights and sounds. The trees rose high into the air - high enough to make the trees back in Arborea Hills look almost tiny in comparison. The sound of the wind sighing through their tall branches seemed to echo all around him, making the forest sound as if it were breathing in and out with the breeze. Even the distant sound of birds and other small pokemon blended in with the ebb and flow that permeated this place.

A shuffling sound from among the trees brought him back from his reverie.

From behind a mound of large rocks, a large, brown, bearlike pokemon ambled forward, snuffling at the ground on all fours. Its head swiveled toward the group and it stopped, staring intently at them.

Ryan saw Cutter's arms slowly elongate into blades. Buster's ears flattened back and his fur hardened into metal, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Everyone, don't move," Stacy whispered. "It's an ursaring. If we don't provoke it, it should leave us alone."

Just then, the large pokemon reared up on its hind legs, revealing a light tan ring-shaped mark on its abdomen, then opened its mouth, bellowing a thunderous roar that echoed among the trees. The ursaring then dropped to its feet and charged toward them.

Before anyone else could react, Stacy detached and expanded two poké balls from her belt in a single, fluid motion, then threw them between the group and the ursaring. In a burst of light, two pokemon emerged. The first was a large feline with blue and black fur and a thick, spiky mane. The second had the appearance of a tall, bipedal rooster covered in bright orange plumage.

"Max, Rush, shock and awe!" Stacy shouted.

The dark-furred feline charged forward and planted itself in front of the ursaring. With a choppy, high-pitched cry, it filled the air around it with thick, arcing tendrils of electricity. The ursaring backed away several steps, visibly daunted by the blinding electrical display.

Just when the feline pokemon looked like it would press its attack, its electrical discharge abruptly stopped and its orange-feathered companion rushed up from behind it, vaulting off of its back in a high, flying leap at the ursaring. As it came down, it slammed its fist into the ursaring's face, the force of its forward momentum magnifying the impact, sending gobbets of saliva flinging from the ursaring's mouth and driving it staggering back. Before the ursaring could recover, its attacker swept its arms in an arc, spraying a wall of fire in front it. The ursaring, still reeling from the assault, backed away, eyeing the flames between it and the group, then turned and fled back into the trees.

The two pokemon watched until their opponent disappeared from view then returned to Stacy's side. The almost six and a half foot tall rooster pokemon leaned down and began fussing over her, murmuring a rumbling bass. Stacy smiled and gently scratched the back of its neck then reached down to pet the dark feline.

"That was un-freaking-believable," Ryan said, which elicited giggles from Jennifer and Christina. "What kinds of pokemon are they?"

"Yeah, they're pretty awesome. This is Max," Stacy said, nodding at the orange rooster standing over her. "He's a blaziken. He's tough as nails, but a bit of a mother hen, no pun intended. The other one is Rush, my luxray." She knelt down and ruffled Rush's mane and received an affectionate lick in return.

"They're pretty impressive," Ryan observed, "They seem to work really well together, too."

"The attack you saw them execute was a maneuver I sometimes use in team battles to isolate one of the opponent's pokemon from its teammate. I figured it would be a good way to drive off that ursaring." She straightened and returned the two poké balls, minus their occupants, to her belt. "Anyway, it's probably best if we head back. Now that I know there are ursaring in this part of the forest, we'll be avoiding this area for Jennifer's pokemon hunt. Plus, I don't want to run the risk of encountering any more of them."

Stacy led the group back to the campsite where they proceeded to eat lunch. Afterward, Stacy said she'd be taking Jennifer out to look for pokemon alone, explaining that a smaller group would not only attract less attention from potentially dangerous pokemon but also be less likely to spook the pokemon they wanted to catch. After giving admonitions to be careful, Ryan and Christina wished them luck.

After they left, Ryan amused himself by watching Buster and Twitch take turns chasing each other around while Christina chatted up some of the other campers. While he and Cutter sat drinking sodas, a guy who looked to be in his mid teens strolled up to where he sat. The newcomer wore a dark blue polo shirt, shorts and had styled blonde hair that had far more product in it than was strictly necessary.

"Nice pokemon you've got there," the blonde-haired teen said. "I bet mine are tougher, though."

"If you say so," Ryan replied.

"Why don't we have a battle and find out?" He held up a poké ball in one hand and a fan of cash in the other. "One on one. Winner gets paid."

"I'm not a trainer," Ryan said, taking a sip from his can of soda.

"Really? Then why do you have a belt full of poké balls and two pokemon with you?"

"I'm just here with some friends."

"I'll bet. Tell ya what, I'll give you ten-to-one odds. My thousand against your hundred says my pokemon will wipe the floor with anything you've got."

"I told you I'm not interested," Ryan said, his eyes narrowing. "Now why don't you just go away."

"You've gotta be kidding me," the kid jeered. "I'm giving you ten-to-one and you're still too scared to battle? Damn, if you're that big of a wuss, just say so."

Ryan looked up at the smug expression plastered on the kid's face. "Fine. You want to battle that bad?," he said, standing. "Let's go."

"Now we're talking," The kid said, smiling, then rushed over to the dirt road.

Cutter started forward but Ryan stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Not this time," Ryan said. He joined the teen on the road and unfolded his staff, taking a ready position.

The blond teen stared disdainfully at Ryan. "What are you doing?"

"You challenged me to a battle. I accept."

"Yeah, a pokemon battle, you idiot. That means with _pokemon_."

"You said your pokemon could beat anything I've got. Well, I've got a big metal stick." Ryan grinned. "If you're too big of a wuss, you can always forfeit."

"Hey, if that's how you want it," the kid chuckled. "But don't get mad when you get your ass beat." He tapped the poké ball in his hand and tall, bulky, gray-skinned pokemon with a large horn protruding from its snout emerged in a burst of light. "Okay, Rhydon, teach this guy a lesson."

Ryan gripped his staff by the end, holding most of its length out in front of him for maximum range. The last thing he wanted was to allow that rhydon with its heavy, muscular arms and clawed hands to get within reach of him. The rhydon advanced on Ryan and as it did, Ryan countered with quick thrusts at its face. The rhydon easily batted the darting weapon away but the distraction kept it from mounting a solid offense.

Finally, the lumbering pokemon smacked the end of the staff away with enough force to interrupt the flow of Ryan's attacks and lunged forward. Ryan dodged to the side, planting one end of his weapon into the ground. As the rhydon turned to press its attack, Ryan whipped the end of his staff upward, flinging dirt into the rhydon's face. The rhydon turned away, shaking its head and rubbing its eyes.

The rhydon cleared its vision quickly, but the gambit distracted it long enough for Ryan to pull a vial from his pocket and fling its contents at the pokemon. A cluster of tiny, barbed, greenish-brown spheres flew through the air and stuck to the rhydon's body. Within seconds, the spheres sprouted, sending green tendrils spreading across the rhydon's thick grey hide. The pokemon seemed unfazed by the greenery, charging at Ryan again, but now Ryan saw that its movements seemed more sluggish than before.

Ryan knocked away a lunging swipe with his staff, but the rhydon quickly reversed its motion with a backhanded strike to Ryan's face that knocked him down and split his lip. He hurried back to his feet, albeit a bit unsteadily. He wondered how much harder it would've hit him without the leech seeds sapping its strength.

He quickly adjusted to a middle grip to fend off a flurry of close-quarters attacks. Now, the tide of the battle had turned against him. The rhydon had gotten in close and just fending off its powerful blows with his weapon sent punishing impacts into his arms. Still, he was starting to get the feel for the rhythm of the rhydon's attacks. Though it stood upright, its stocky legs were no threat, leaving Ryan to focus on its arms which swiped at him in a one-two pattern. As the rhydon swiped at him again, he parried the first strike then slipped under the now-predictable second swipe, ducking toward its back and bringing his staff up for a devastating strike from the rear.

Too late did Ryan realize his mistake in failing to account for its extra limb as the rhydon brought its tail up and around, slamming it into his ribs as he tried to come around its side. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs in an explosion of pain and sent him to the ground in a crumpled heap, his staff falling from his hands. The rhydon grabbed him by the wrist and hoisted him up off the ground with one hand, dangling him in front of its face.

"You moron," the kid jeered from behind the pokemon. "Did you really think you could beat my rhydon? I guess you saved your pokemon a beating, but the same can't be said for you. Knock him out, Rhydon."

The rhydon stared at Ryan for a moment, watching him sway in its grip. It blinked, then looked back at its trainer with an expression of obvious uncertainty.

"What are you waiting for?" The teen said, pointing angrily at Ryan. "Knock him out, already!"

The rhydon turned back toward Ryan, still dangling in its powerful grip, then slowly lifted its other arm and balled its thick, meaty hand into a fist.

With a lightning-quick movement, Ryan grabbed the rhydon's horn with his free hand to steady himself, then aimed a kick at what he hoped was a sensitive spot between its legs. He was rewarded with an impact that was noticeably more yielding than those which landed elsewhere during the fight. The rhydon dropped him, making a hollow, raspy cry. Ryan quickly scrambled for his staff, snatching it up and getting to his feet. He spun around and saw the rhydon was on its knees, pitched forward with one hand on the ground. He swung his staff around in a wide, diagonal overhand swing and smashed it down into the back of the rhydon's head.

The rhydon collapsed nervelessly to the ground.

Ryan stood over the rhydon, watching the leech seed tendrils covering it beginning to turn brown and flake off, and prodded it lightly with the end of his staff. Seeing it make no effort to move, Ryan made his way toward its trainer. He glared at the kid and wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "I'll take that thousand now."

The kid looked over at his rhydon, still lying on the ground, then back up at Ryan. For a moment, Ryan thought the kid might stiff him for the money. For a moment, he hoped he would try.

"Take it. You're crazy." The kid thrust the roll of bills at him and hastily retreated.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ryan called after him.

"That thing?" The kid stopped and cast a contemptuous glance at the defeated pokemon. "It can't even beat a human. Why would I want something as useless as that?"

The rhydon finally began to stir and made a feeble attempt to get to its feet as its trainer walked away.

Christina rushed up to Ryan. "Are you mental?!" she exclaimed, looking him over. "I can't believe you did that!"

"That guy totally had it coming," Ryan said.

"And where did you get those leech seeds?"

"I work for a pokemon veterinarian. Where do you think?" He looked over at the rhydon, still on the ground, which was now making a piteous moaning sound. He looked away and sighed. "Hey, do me a favor and see what you can do about that pokemon, would you?"

Christina nodded. "I can't believe that bastard just abandoned his pokemon like that. What an asshole." She went into the RV and came back out with a washcloth, a large cup of water and a bottle of healing spray and began attending to the rhydon.

Ryan sat down and folded up his staff. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the places where he'd been hit were really starting to hurt. He touched his cheek and winced. He could already feel the right side of his face beginning to swell.

Cutter walked over and stood in front of him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. After a moment, Cutter's eyes took on the intense, yet vaguely distant look that marked the use of his psychic sense and his expression softened. He then reached out, putting his hands on Ryan's face. _Hold still,_ he said. _This should ease the pain._

Ryan felt a strange energy pour into him like waves of liquid heat which slowly collected in hot pools underneath the pain throbbing in his head, burning it and driving it to the surface where it evaporated like steam.

When Cutter was done, he let his hands fall away, visibly wearied. Ryan touched his face again and felt that the swelling was now almost completely gone. The pain in his side still remained, however.

 _I did the best I could,_ Cutter said. _My healing abilities don't work as well on humans as they do on pokemon._

"It's a lot better. Thanks," Ryan said. He looked over at Christina kneeling next to the abandoned pokemon lying on the ground. "You know, I'm starting to feel kind of bad about kicking... him?" Ryan looked up at Cutter who nodded, "in the nads. Why don't you take a breather then see if you can help Christina out with that rhydon, okay?"

Cutter nodded then joined Christina. Between the two of them, they were eventually able to soothe the distressed rhydon and get it back on its feet.

Its presence proved to be a surprise to Stacy and Jennifer when they returned later that afternoon, though they were even more surprised when Christina explained how it had come to be in their possession. Ryan capped the tale by lifting the front of his shirt and showing them the large bruise that now darkened his side where the rhydon had struck him with its tail.

After that, Jennifer produced a poké ball and announced she had caught her first pokemon. She activated the poké ball and a small, brown-furred, long-eared creature emerged which Jennifer proclaimed was a buneary. Stacy was quick to remind her that it was still wild and needed to be watched carefully lest it run away. Stacy took her younger sister aside and spent the remainder of the afternoon helping her train it.

When evening came, Stacy took it upon herself to do the preparations for dinner. Even though the RV had a kitchen, Stacy insisted that the evening meal - a hearty stew - be cooked over and eaten around a proper campfire. When Christina learned that Ryan had never toasted marshmallows over a fire, the girls unanimously declared that said activity would immediately follow dinner.

Jennifer's new buneary now sat in her lap eating bits of granola from her hand. Stacy sat leaning back against Max, her blaziken, who occasionally reached around to give a little extra cook to any of her marshmallows that he felt weren't sufficiently toasted. The rhydon sat next to Christina, licking hot, melted marshmallow goo off its fingers. Since his trainer hadn't returned for him, she decided to adopt him for herself, naming him "Crash".

"So I have to ask," Stacy said, looking across the fire at Ryan, "what possessed you to fight that rhydon by yourself."

"I tried to explain to that kid that I wasn't a trainer and that I don't do the whole sport battling thing but he wouldn't accept it. He was being really obnoxious about it, too. When I couldn't get rid of him, I decided he needed to be knocked down a peg."

"You could've just as easily done that by having one of your pokemon fight. I bet Cutter could've handled it easily enough."

"You're probably right," he said, plucking a freshly browned marshmallow off of the stick in his hand, offering a second to Cutter, "but this was my beef. I don't believe in putting others in harm's way just to settle my scores."

Stacy shook her head. "You're lucky, you know, and I don't just mean about your ribs not being broken. There aren't many vulnerable spots on a rhydon's head."

"I've had to face uneven fights before," Ryan said as he put more marshmallows on his stick and held them over the fire.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully and afterward, the group retired to the RV for the night.

The next day, Stacy declared that it was time to head for the fabled secret swimming spot and, after packing a few supplies, took everyone trekking down along the river. Along the way, they were treated to a spectacular sight. A giant blue dragon, easily ten feet tall, landed on the opposite shore of the river. Even being relatively inexperienced with pokemon as he was, Ryan had seen this kind of pokemon in enough television shows and pieces of merchandise to know a salamence when he saw one. "That thing's a monster!" he said. "I didn't think they got that big."

"They usually don't," Stacy said. "This one's special. The Rangers named him Orion, after the mythical hunter. He's the alpha dragon in these parts."

"Is he dangerous?" Ryan asked.

"Not as long as you leave him alone. I even heard a story once about how he pulled someone out of the river a couple years ago when there was a flash flood. Still, he doesn't like being approached, so I'd keep clear of him if I were you."

Ryan saw the great dragon turn its head in their direction. Had it heard them speaking? Ryan thought it unlikely that it could see them at that distance through the trees and foliage, but it was clearly looking directly at them. As Ryan watched it, he swore he could feel its gaze on him, a palpable pressure, even across the distance between them. Unable to look away, he felt his heart beginning to pound in his chest.

And then, as abruptly as it had appeared, the salamence spread its great crimson wings and launched itself into the air, winging off into the distance.

"Majestic, isn't he?" Christina said.

"Yeah," Ryan said, taking a deep breath. "He's something."

"Come on," Stacy said. "Where we're going is just a bit farther on."

Stacy led them to a U-shaped bend in the river where the water had churned the nearby rock to sand, forming a beach that sloped down from the tall trees which surrounded the shore on three sides. The noonday sun sparkled off the crystal clear water that flowed gently by.

The girls quickly peeled off their clothing, revealing the bikinis they wore underneath. Ryan saw that, though the family resemblance between them was clearly evident, there were also noticeable differences as well. Stacy's figure was lean and statuesque. Her well-toned, athletic build bespoke the countless hours she undoubtedly spent training alongside her pokemon. Christina was a little shorter than her older sister and the curves of her body were softer, though her figure was still trim and graceful. Her chest was a little fuller than Stacy's as well. Seeing them together like this, Ryan figured that anyone who didn't know that Christina was three years younger than Stacy would be hard-pressed to tell who was the elder.

Everyone let their pokemon out, including Jennifer and her buneary. Twitch found a large rock to perch upon and playfully taunt Buster from, while Crash lumbered down to the water and immediately began splashing around. In addition to Max and Rush, Stacy released another pokemon - one that closely resembled Cutter in form and color, except that its head lacked a crest and its lower body trailed off into flowing skirts which floated above the ground.

"Your pokemon looks a lot like Cutter," Ryan remarked.

"She should, considering she's from the same evolutionary line," Stacy said. "She's a gardevoir. Her name is Gia."

Cutter stepped forward and bowed formally. _It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance,_ he said. _My name is Cutter._

Gia inclined her head and smiled. _Likewise,_ she replied, her mental voice gentle and mellifluous.

After laying out towels on the sandy beach and setting the cooler full of snacks in the shade, the girls dove into the water, inviting Ryan to follow. Although initially hesitant, after some coaxing, he shed his tank top and joined them.

The center of the river cut deep enough for some respectable underwater exploration and allowed for an impromptu diving contest where Crash launched each of them into the air in turn to see who could make the best aerial display, then finally who could make the most impressive cannonball. Opinions differed as to the results, but all enjoyed the attempts.

Ryan left the water first, quickly replacing his tank top after drying off. Stacy followed soon after, approaching him with a bottle of sunscreen.

"Can you get my back?" she asked, stretching out on her towel.

"Sure," he replied, taking the bottle.

"You know," she said as he began working the lotion around, "I get why you fought Crash yourself. I work with pokemon a lot and I understand not wanting your partners to get hurt. But you need to learn to trust your pokemon."

"I do trust them," Ryan said, "but I don't need others to fight my battles for me. I can take care of myself."

"Too bad Crash's old trainer didn't think like that. He was happy to talk smack and let his pokemon make good on it for him. But you're not like that. You don't see pokemon as things to be exploited. That's one of the things I like about you." She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. "But pokemon are much better at battling than humans are and they heal a lot faster and easier. Don't forget my shoulders, please."

Ryan squeezed a small additional dollop of sunscreen into his hands and continued working it in. "Yeah, well, like I said before, I'm not a pokemon trainer. I'm not into the whole sport battling thing."

"I know you're not, but that doesn't matter. There are things our pokemon rely on us for - to feed them, to care for them, to look after them when they're sick or hurt - and there are things we rely on them for, too. My mom told me about how you helped the owner of that machine shop take care of his klang problem. Do you think you could've done it without your pokemon?"

"No," Ryan said, "I suppose not."

"That's my point. Our pokemon are our partners and that means each of us knows that they can count on the other to handle the things that they themselves can't. Or shouldn't. Oh, and you can give the sunblock back, now. I think you've covered everything two or three times."

"Sorry," he said, returning the bottle. "The conversation distracted me."

"Its okay," she said with a smile, "I wasn't complaining."

When the afternoon grew late, everyone packed up and began the walk back to their campsite at a leisurely pace. On the way, Jennifer stopped the group, pointing off into the trees.

"Look, it's an abra!" she exclaimed.

Ryan looked in the direction Jennifer was pointing and saw a small, brown and yellow creature with an upright posture and a vaguely foxlike face.

"Ooh, be quiet, everyone," Stacy said, "they're very skittish and they'll teleport away if they feel threatened."

Ryan watched the abra shuffle listlessly around a tree. "Are you sure? It doesn't look very skittish to me. In fact, it looks like someone slipped it some downers."

 _Ryan's right,_ Gia said. _There's something wrong with that abra. Its thoughts are strangely muted. Distant._ She slowly floated nearer to it, stopping several feet away. The abra's eyes remained fixed on the ground in front of it.

"Is it sick?" Christina asked.

 _I see no outward signs of disease,_ Gia said, _and I don't sense any feelings of physical discomfort from it._

Stacy approached the abra and knelt down next to it. "Maybe someone tried to capture it and banged its head up in the attempt. I don't see any marks on it, though. I've seen plenty of botched captures and this doesn't look much like one."

The rest of the group joined Stacy near the abra which finally appeared to notice that it wasn't alone, slowly lifting its head and looking around.

"It's weirding me out that it hasn't tried to run yet," Stacy observed.

"Hey, Gia, will this thing freak out if I touch it?" Ryan asked.

Gia put a hand on its shoulder which elicited no reaction. _I doubt it._

Ryan began examining the abra which offered neither resistance nor complaint to being handled. "Son of a bitch," Ryan softly exclaimed, "I knew it. Look here." He pointed to a spot on the back of the abra's neck near its spine where he held its fur apart.

Stacy leaned in and saw the small, thin scar on the abra's skin. "It looks like an old healed-up injury."

"It's not. Its a surgical scar. You can barely see the suture marks on either side, but they're there. And see how the skin color is striated between the old skin and the newly healed skin? Your mother explained to me that this is what it looks like when a pokemon gets operated on and put in a bio-reactor to heal fast. We saw the same types of scars on the pokemon NuGen was experimenting on."

 _A most astute observation, young one,_ said an unknown psychic voice into Ryan's mind.

Ryan looked around for the source of the voice. "Did anyone else hear that?" he asked.

Everyone, including Cutter and Gia responded that they had.

A tiny pixie-like pokemon floated gently down from the branches of a nearby tree, stopping to hover in midair before the group, its twin bejeweled tails slowly swaying on either side of its body. It nodded its round, yellow head toward the group, regarding them with closed eyes.

"Hey, Stacy, what is that thing?" Ryan whispered.

"It's not a thing," Stacy hissed, her eyes widening, "It's Uxie!"

Ryan watched the hovering pokemon float over to the abra, stopping in front of its face. "Okay, what's an Uxie?"

"Not _an_ Uxie," she said in a loud whisper. "Uxie is its name and it's one of the Great Pokemon!"

"Oh. Is that a big deal?"

"Yes, it's a big deal!" she snapped. "Uxie is the embodiment of knowledge and the one who brought civilization to all mankind!"

 _The ones who listened, at any rate,_ Uxie said, studying the abra. It made a slow circuit in the air around the near-catatonic pokemon, then stopped. _Another one. Most distressing._

"Wait, you've seen this before?" Ryan asked.

 _Indeed, I have. Each abra carried an identical incision near a particular nerve bundle and was left depleted of several key neurotransmitters._

Uxie extended a tiny arm toward the abra and the jewels on its tails and head briefly pulsed with light. A moment later, the abra blinked, then looked around in alarm. Uxie lifted a hand and the abra paused, turning its attention to Uxie's floating form.

"How many abra have you found here like that?" Stacy asked.

 _Only one. But I found two others elsewhere - one in the mountains far to the southeast near the town of Big Beartic and one in the hills near Creekside._

"So you think NuGen is at it again?" Christina asked.

"I don't know," Ryan said. "I mean, they'd be stupid to try, considering they're still under a spotlight from last time. And from what I've been told by one of the pokemon who used to work there, NuGen seemed genuinely upset about the whole mess. Either way, whoever's doing this has gotten smart. They're dumping the pokemon so far apart there's no way predict where they'll go so nobody can follow them back to their lab."

"We need to go to the authorities with this," Christina said.

"With what?" Ryan replied. "One abra with a surgical scar and the word of a pokemon, great or otherwise, doesn't amount to much."

"He's right," Stacy said. "We don't know who's taking these pokemon or where."

"No, but that abra does," Ryan said. "Hey, Uxie, you're good with brain stuff, right?"

"You can't talk to a Great One like that, Ryan!" Stacy said. She turned to Uxie. "Please forgive my friend. I'm sure he meant no disrespect."

 _None is taken. Besides, I believe I can surmise his stratagem. Yes, I can access the abra's memories and I can show you what it saw._

"Alright, then. Do it."

 _Prepare yourself._

"I'm ready," Ryan said. A moment later, he sucked in a breath and threw his arms out as if off balance. "Whoa... okay, I'm seeing myself in another part of the forest. Could be a different forest. Hard to tell. This is really trippy, by the way. Heh, I can see my little abra hands and..." Ryan stopped, his hands going to his side. "I just got shot! It looks a tranq dart. I can't see who fired it. They've gotta be around..."

Ryan began to sway unsteadily on his feet. Christina rushed forward to steady him as he began to tip over.

"Thanks," Ryan said. "The abra tried to teleport away, but it couldn't quite pull it off. It felt like the whole world was turning inside-out for a second. It's unconscious now. Whatever they shot it with was pretty potent stuff. Okay, I need to fast-forward to when it wakes up."

Uxie inclined its head toward the abra again and Ryan felt more images flood his mind.

"It's in a cage now. It's mind is really foggy and everything looks blurry." He touched the back of his neck. "I think this is after they did whatever they did to it. It looks like it's in a car - the back of a van, maybe an SUV. They've started moving. Damn, I can't make anything out. It's not looking out the window much and everything it sees is all hazy."

"Can you see any landmarks?" Christina asked. "Anything big enough to be recognizable?"

"Not yet. Hold on." Ryan closed his eyes, concentrating. "Wait, I think... yeah, that looks like a Burgermeister sign. And that big orange one looks a Hardware Barn sign." Ryan paused. "It's lying down now. All I can see is the top of its cage. Is there anything else until it gets dumped?"

Uxie slowly shook its head.

"At least we know the place we're looking for is somewhere near a Burgermeister and a Hardware Barn," Stacy said.

"That's true," Christina added, "but it's going to take some time to research where that might be."

"Maybe not," Ryan said, pulling out his cell phone. He held it up to his face and started tapping on the screen. "Hey, Trace, get your butt out here."

A moment later, a stream of geometric shapes flowed out of his phone and resolved themselves into a polygonal, birdlike form which hovered in the air before him. It looked around and made an inquisitive electronic chirp.

Stacy's eyes grew wide. "You have a porygon?"

"Yeah, but all he does is screw around on my phone all day. My internet runs really fast now, though." He paused at the look of surprise on her face. "Why, is this unusual?"

"Sort of," Stacy said, eyeing the porygon. "Silph only made them in limited production runs and they're very expensive. Most of them were sold to corporations, universities and government agencies."

"Oh. Cool." Unruffled, he turned to the porygon. "Trace, I need you to find something for me. I'm looking for locations within, lets say, five hundred miles that have a Burgermeister within one block of a Hardware Barn. Can you swing that?"

Trace trilled and nodded excitedly. It touched its beak to Ryan's phone and its eyes began flashing with snippets of electronic data. After about half a minute, it turned and its eyes flashed again, projecting a floating holographic map of the entire region in the air in front of it. The map zoomed in to the south where a single red dot appeared in the southeastern section of Angel City.

"That's pretty cool, Trace," Ryan said. "Good job, little guy."

The porygon bounced again in midair, chirping happily.

"So this is where they are, then?" Stacy asked.

"Actually, its somewhere within a few miles of this point. They could be anywhere in the southeast corner of Angel City.

"Then that's where I'll start looking," Stacy declared.

 _It seems that you have this matter well in hand,_ Uxie said to the group. _I wish you luck in your endeavor._ Uxie nodded to the abra beside it and both of them disappeared with an audible pop.

# # #

Doctor Lynd walked up beside Ryan who was leaning over one of the exam tables at the pokemon clinic, wiping it down with disinfectant. Kala followed close behind her holding Alexander in her arms. "Stacy tells me she's going to Angel City to find out who's conducting the pokemon experiments," Doctor Lynd said.

"My money's on that Doctor Talbot guy who was doing it before, but I guess we won't know until someone has a look," Ryan replied. "I'm sure she'll get to the bottom of it."

"You're not going along?" Doctor Lynd asked.

"Stacy can handle herself. Besides, the last time I got involved in this stuff, things got a bit hairy. I don't need that kind of trouble. Anyway, if I leave, who's going to help you with the clinic?"

"Actually, I've been meaning to tell you that I'm going to be training a new veterinary intern soon. He should be arriving from Creekside in a few days."

He glanced over at her and saw her troubled expression. "If you're that worried, just tell her she can't go. You are her mother, after all."

"Yes, that's true, but it isn't as simple as that. She's almost an adult and the apron strings are getting stretched pretty thin. If I tell her not to go, she'll probably just do it anyway. Plus, I've always told my children to take an active role in making the world a better place. It seems hypocritical to forbid them from actually doing it. And the fact that Uxie has gotten involved in this tells me that this is something very important, indeed."

"Don't you think that might just be a coincidence? I mean, unless this Uxie spends all its time hiding under a rock, someone's going to run into it sooner or later."

"It's rare enough to even see one of the Great Pokemon, but I can tell you that they never get directly involved in anything without a very good reason."

"It's not like she's helpless, you know. Haven't you seen her pokemon? They're the real deal. Just two of them handled a wild ursaring like it was nothing. She told me she has six."

"Stacy is an excellent competitive pokemon battler and her pokemon are very strong as well, but the real world isn't like the Pokemon League. These people aren't going to follow the rules or fight fair and there aren't going to be any referees to call time out if someone gets hurt. And this isn't the first time something like this has happened, you know. Every so often, some individual or group gets it into their head that exploiting pokemon is a quick route to power. I've run into people like that before and I can tell you that they'll do whatever it takes to achieve their ambitions. They..." She stopped herself short, as if suddenly aware of the rising pitch and volume of her own voice. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead, letting out a long, trembling breath.

Ryan's brow furrowed in concern. "You okay, Doc?"

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I shouldn't be putting this on you. I'm a mother worried about her daughter, but that doesn't give me the right to put someone else in harm's way. I'll have another talk with Stacy."

He looked into her eyes, normally so warm and light, now weighted with concern and quiet desperation. "I'll go."

"No, Ryan, I don't want..."

"You're right about Stacy. She's going whether you want her to or not. It's probably best if she doesn't go alone. Don't worry," he added quietly. "Everything's going to be okay."

She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Ryan."

"It's no big deal." He held up the spray bottle of disinfectant. "Now, I need to get back to this so I can finish up by dinner."

Doctor Lynd quietly nodded and left him to his work.

Just as he finished his cleaning duties, the baby in Kala's arms began crying. Kala sniffed at it then looked at Ryan and made a familiar throaty, rumbling noise.

Ryan glanced at the wailing infant then looked up at Kala, who held the baby out to him with an expectant look. "Oh, you are just the worst," he muttered.


	4. Angels and Demons

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Angels and Demons**

In the still, quiet hours late at night in the museum, three black-clothed individuals made their way silently through the exhibits. Masks covered their heads, leaving no distinguishing characteristics visible - beyond the fact that one of the three was female - for any observers to identify. The woman stopped them as they came to a hallway, pointing up at a camera whose field of view they were about to enter.

One of the men with her pulled a slender blade from a wrist sheath and slung it at the camera. The blade made only cosmetic damage in the camera's protective housing, but a moment later, arcs of electricity shot up the thin wire held in the man's gloved hand which trailed from the base of the blade, causing the camera to pop and sizzle, emitting a puff of smoke. With a yank on the wire, the man pulled the blade free and its wire wound back into the spool on his arm as it returned to him. He nodded to the others and they continued on.

They came at last to a small glass case, unremarkable in comparison to the much larger displays in the room which contained antiquities far older, grander and more valuable than the cracked pink jewel encased before them. A placard stated that the gem had been retrieved by a now-extinct indigenous tribe who claimed that it was found where two of their gods had fought each other. The woman produced a tool from her bag with which she quickly cut and removed a circular section of the display case, then plucked the jewel from the pillow upon which it sat.

As the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the far corridor, the woman and the man with the blade placed a hand on the shoulder of the second man who tapped the screen of an electronic device on his forearm. The device beeped softly and the space surrounding them began to twist and distort. When the armed guards arrived a few moments later, the three were gone.

# # #

"Buizel, bayleef, chesnaught," Ryan said as unlabelled pictures of pokemon flashed by on the tablet's screen, "snorlax, vulpix... no, wait. Fennekin. The last one was fennekin. Vulpix have more tails."

"Very good," Christina said, setting the tablet down on the kitchen table. "Keep this up and you'll know more pokemon than Stacy."

"Doctor Lynd keeps saying that I should learn more about pokemon if I'm going to keep working in a pokemon clinic. Plus there's the other stuff we're going to be doing." The pachirisu perched on his shoulder darted up onto his head, then down to his other shoulder. "And is Twitch always like this?" he added.

"She just likes you," Christina said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, I can feel an electrical tingle whenever she gets near my face. She's not going to zap me, is she?"

"No, she's not going to zap you. Tingly means she's happy. Believe me, you'll know when she's not."

"Great." He watched the pachirisu scamper down his arm, across the table and onto Christina's shoulder. "Speaking of your pokemon, how's, um..." Ryan shifted in his chair and glanced away, "how's Crash doing?"

"He's fine," she replied, her brow knitting at his sudden discomfiture. "Why do you ask?"

"The way everything went down, I thought he might be having a hard time of things."

"First off, he's in very good health. Mom says his last trainer didn't pay enough attention to his dietary needs, but now that he's getting a proper diet, he's stronger and healthier than ever."

"Oh. That's good. So there wasn't any lasting damage from the fight? It got pretty nasty at the end."

"You mean when you booted him in the bits and pieces? Don't worry. I checked him out. Actually, all that stuff is tucked safely away inside, anyway. It only hurt him because the orifice is lined with sensitive membranous tissues. It's like getting punched really hard in the nose."

"You checked him out?"

"My mom walked me through it. After she heard he got hit there hard enough to lay him out, she thought it would be a good idea to take a look. I'm thinking of becoming a pokemon vet like my mom and she told me that they have to deal with a lot worse stuff than handling a pokemon's junk. In fact, right now she's out back taking care of a tauros with an impacted colon. She has these gloves that go all the way to her shoulder and..."

"Okay, okay, I get it. So he's doing okay then? You know, adjusting?"

Christina reached over and touched him on the arm. "He's very happy in his new home. He loves playing with Jennifer, which is good since Kala gives most of her attention to Alexander these days. Speaking of which, it wouldn't hurt for you to put in more time with your own pokemon. It seems like Jennifer spends more time with Buster than you do."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. His attention turned to the enormous bulk of Kala, Doctor Lynd's kangaskhan edging through the kitchen door with Alexander in her arms. "Please tell me he doesn't need another diaper change."

Christina rose and took the baby from Kala. She nuzzled his face with her nose, eliciting a giggle from her baby brother. "Do you really dislike it that much?"

"Do you not? I've lost count of how many times your mother or nanny-zilla here has had me do their dirty work. The only upshot is that I've gotten pretty fast at it."

"Maybe that was the point," Christina said, her eyebrows raised slightly for emphasis. "But if you want, I can do diaper duty for you."

Ryan blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Sure. I used to change Jennifer's diapers all the time, so I'm used to it. But I want something in return."

"What's that?" Ryan asked warily.

"I want you to take me out for pizza - stuffed crust, the works. And not just once, either. As long as I'm wrist-deep in doo-doo, you're feeding me."

"How often are we talking, exactly?"

"Oh, a couple times a week should do. It doesn't have to be pizza every time, though. Nothing wrong with mixing things up now and then." She paused, noting the hesitant look on his face. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though. In fact, I probably shouldn't even be offering. From what I understand, my mom considers it part of the job she's paying you for to provide whatever assistance she needs when she's here at the clinic, including helping her with Alexander."

As if on cue, Alexander began crying in an all-too-familiar tone. Christina peeked inside his diaper and smiled innocently at Ryan.

"Deal," he said.

The next morning, Ryan and Cutter were up and waiting when Stacy drove up to the clinic in her dark blue two-door compact along with her sister Christina. Sitting in the back was Stacy's gardevoir, Gia.

The two sisters got out of the car and greeted Ryan. "I'll hold down the fort while you two are gone," Christina said. "Good luck in Angel City and come back safe," She gave her sister a hug and turned to Ryan. "Both of you."

"Will do," Ryan replied. He waited until Cutter climbed into the back, then sat in the front passenger seat, closing the door behind him.

Christina waved as Stacy started the car. "And when you get back," she called, "we can start with a extra-large Hawaiian style and a pitcher of soda."

Stacy looked at Ryan who muttered, "Don't ask," as they drove away.

As they drove along the freeway, the post morning rush hour traffic was still fairly heavy, but not so much that it slowed their travel. Ryan stared out at the scenery rushing by while Stacy hummed along to a bouncy pop tune playing on the radio. Cutter and Gia, meanwhile, spent the time engaged in silent mental conversation.

"So, Cutter," Stacy said as the radio launched into a commercial, "You said you worked with the people at NuGen. What kind of stuff did you do?"

 _My primary role was as a member of the research and development team that created the second generation Technical Machines._

"You were? That is unbelievably awesome!"

"Why exactly is that 'unbelievably awesome'?" Ryan asked.

Stacy shot him an incredulous look. "Are you serious? The first generation TMs burned out after only one use. Everyone hated that, especially considering how expensive they were. The second gen TMs changed all that. So," she continued, "what was your job? Did you test them or something?"

 _Not exactly. In order to develop a stable psi induction matrix that could withstand multiple uses, NuGen determined that they would need the assistance of psychic pokemon with particular abilities. To that end, they instituted a special breeding program from which I was selected on the basis of mental acuity and retention. As part of the development process, I was required to memorize the entirety of their TM library. I even know techniques that I myself lack the faculties to execute, though I can pass the knowledge on to others. In fact, I've recently taught Buster a few new tricks._

"Really?" Ryan said, "How come I didn't know about this?"

Cutter glanced out of the window. _Your attention is usually elsewhere_.

"We'll be coming up on Angel City soon," Stacy said. "Where should we start looking?"

"I'd like to start by talking with a friend of mine," Ryan said. "I'll tell you where to turn off."

After exiting the freeway a short while later, they wound their way through the city, finally turning onto a street lined with old palm trees. The houses were painted in hues of yellows and whites, some faded to the point where it was impossible to tell which of the two colors they originally were. The house they stopped in front of had a patchy front lawn enclosed by a short chain link fence and a concrete driveway whose cracked surface was speckled with oil stains. Ryan led them to the front of the house and knocked on the door.

The door was answered by a man with Hispanic features that looked to be about Ryan's age, wearing a black tank top and shorts. His easy smile broadened when he saw Ryan. "Hey, killer! Long time, no see," he said.

"Dammit, Miguel," Ryan said with a sigh, "I wish you'd stop calling me that."

Miguel greeted him with a quick fist-bump then said, "So who's your friend?"

"Miguel, this is Stacy. Stacy, this is Miguel. We went to school together."

Stacy gave Ryan playful look. "Killer, huh?"

"He used to get bullied a lot," Miguel said, "then he learned how to fight and cleaned all their clocks. It was awesome."

"Actually, Miguel," Ryan said, changing the subject, "I was hoping to talk to you about something else. We ran across some people who are experimenting on pokemon and we're trying to track them down. We think they're in southeast Angel City but we don't know exactly where, Have you heard of anybody doing weird stuff with pokemon or people finding pokemon all zonked out or acting weird?"

"Have I heard of people doing weird stuff with pokemon?" Miguel laughed. "Come on man, that happens every day around here."

Stacy said, "What about unusual pokemon? Have there been any types turning up that aren't common for this area?"

"Not around here." Miguel paused in thought, then said, "But I did hear someone talking not too long ago about how one of the arenas had some hot new pokemon on the card."

"Arenas?" Stacy asked.

"Yeah," Ryan said, "Underground pit fighting arenas. Don't tell me you've never heard of those?"

"Of course I've heard of them. I just didn't know there were any in Angel City."

Miguel chuckled. "The Coliseum isn't the only place they have pokemon battles in Angel City."

"So, where's this arena you're talking about?" Ryan asked.

"Don't know," Miguel replied. "I try to stay away from that scene now. It should be pretty easy to find if you ask around, though."

"Okay. Thanks for the info, then," Ryan said. "I wish I could stay, but we're kind of in the middle of something."

"Yeah, I'll bet you are," Miguel said, smiling. "I'll catch you later, then. Don't be a stranger, okay."

Stacy and Ryan took to the streets once again, Ryan directing them downtown.

"So," Stacy said as they drove down through the city, "we find this pit fighting arena and then what?"

"We take a look and see if their new pokemon have anything do with the people we're looking for," Ryan said. "First, though, we need to find it. Pull in here," he said, indicating a fast food restaurant. "I'm starving and we can leave the car parked here afterward while we pound the pavement."

They stopped and ate a quick meal, then went on foot. At Ryan's urging, both Gia and Cutter went back into their poké balls in order to not draw undue attention. As they made their way through the streets, Stacy watched as Ryan began making inquiries seemingly haphazardly, focusing on certain businesses and people while avoiding others.

As the afternoon wore on, Stacy noticed the areas they were traveling through showed increasing amounts of urban decay - shabby buildings with broken or boarded-up windows, trash strewn on the sidewalks and alleys increasingly crowded with people in makeshift dwellings.

Amid the squalor, Stacy noticed a neon sign in an unassuming storefront advertising an unexpected luxury: "Pokemon massage."

"I guess no matter where you are, people still need to take care of their pokemon," Stacy said, pointing out the sign.

"It's not what you think," Ryan said. "People don't take their pokemon there to relax. People go there to have pokemon help them relax."

"You know, I've heard of a place like that near the beach." Stacy said. "They have specially trained monferno that give deep-heat massages. It's really expensive, but I hear the place has gotten lots of good reviews."

"Well, the pokemon in there definitely use their hands, but not for that."

Stacy blinked, then her face reddened as puzzlement gave way to comprehension. "Are you serious?"

"You mean you've never heard of that?"

"Yes, I've heard of it. I do use the internet, you know. I just thought..."

"...that it happened somewhere else?" Ryan interjected. "You wanted to find out what was going on - to get to the bottom of things? Well, that's where we are. The bottom. A lot of people here are dirt poor, desperate or both. When you wake up every morning knowing that the best you can hope for is to scrape by for one more day, knowing that tomorrow will be no better, you'll take any kind of escape you can get. In your world, pokemon are friends, athletes, co-workers and companions. Here, they're bodyguards, enforcers, drug mules and... other things. It's a different world from the one you know."

"It sounds like you know a lot about this city," she said quietly

Ryan shrugged. "I knew enough to leave as soon as I could."

Ryan abruptly put his arm out, stopping her. She looked at him, confused, and saw that his eyes were locked on a pokemon that appeared from an alley ahead. In the waning light, she thought it was an umbreon, but looking closer, she saw it was something different. Its rough, dirty fur was purple with dark green accents. The tips of sharp fangs jutted visibly down from its mouth. As it glanced in their direction, its eyes - yellow green with thin, vertical slit pupils - flashed briefly with reflected light. Ryan kept his eyes on it until it passed.

"I've never see a pokemon like that before," Stacy said once it was gone.

"It was a toxeon," Ryan said. "It's what happens to eevee that live around the smog, trash, pollution and industrial waste you find in big cities like this one. They're nasty bastards, especially when they're feral. Even raticate won't go near them. And yes, they're extremely poisonous. Fortunately, you only see them in the really nasty parts of town." He smiled grimly. "That's probably why you've never seen one."

Finally, after talking with a few more people, Ryan was able to find the information they were looking for, confirming it with others so as to ensure that they'd be looking in the right place.

They made their way back to Stacy's car and drove to the part of the industrial district where they were told the arena was. On Ryan's advice, they parked several blocks away. Stacy watched Ryan take his folding staff out of the car, but to her surprise, he put it in the trunk instead of slinging it over his shoulder.

"First off," he said, "leave your poké ball belt in the car - it screams 'pro trainer'. The Pokemon League tries to shut these places down whenever they can, so if they think you're with the League, things will get real unfriendly for us real fast. Second, If you're going to bring any of your poké balls, keep them shrunk down and out of sight. People don't usually bring pokemon to an arena unless they're going to fight them." He noticed the look of obvious distaste on her face. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. I can do this part myself."

"No," she said, "I didn't come all this way to wait in the car."

Twilight drew over the city in a blanket of purple and blue as they made their way down the city streets. Overhead, the street lights dotted the gloom with their harsh, orange light. Finally, they came to a row of old warehouses sitting near some railroad tracks. The one they approached was surrounded by an asphalt lot whose uneven surface was broken by patches of weeds. Ryan led them around to the back, where the sounds of human activity could be heard from inside. He knocked on the door which was answered by a large, bald man who opened it only enough to stare silently at the two of them. Ryan held out a pair of bills to the bald man who took them then opened the door the rest of the way.

The interior was dimly lit by portable floodlights powered by a generator which chugged near some windows painted an opaque brown. The smell of tobacco smoke, alcohol and other, more acrid scents wafted from the spectators gathered inside. In the center of the warehouse, inside a cubical enclosure made up of chain-link fencing welded together, two pokemon were locked in brutal combat. The spectators in the makeshift bleachers surrounding the ring loudly cheered or cursed at the combatants before them while others watched near the enclosure behind a waist-high barricade of dented diamond plate steel.

"I want to get a closer look at these pokemon," Ryan said, leading them toward the ringside area.

"I'm already seeing more than I want to," Stacy replied.

"Hey! Keep that shit quiet," Ryan whispered harshly. "Remember what I told you about this place. These people are not fucking around." Ryan paused to let his words sink in then continued, his tone softening, "You did say you wanted to come, after all."

They made their way through the ringside crowd and watched as the two pokemon - a charmeleon and a quilava, both gaunt and wild-eyed - tore at each other with ferocious abandon. After a vicious exchange of claws and teeth which left bloody gashes on both pokemon, the charmeleon pulled back and breathed an intense gout of fire at the quilava, which sent the spectators on that side ducking behind the metal barricade but left the quilava only slightly singed.

"They're having two fire pokemon fight each other?" Stacy said softly. " This battle could drag on forever!"

"I think that's the point," Ryan replied.

And indeed, the battle did drag on as each of the pokemon took turns blasting each other with fire, to the delight of the crowd, but to little effect upon each other. Finally, the charmeleon, its orange body slashed red with its own blood and its tail flame guttering low, lunged forward and tackled the quilava to the ground, ripping into it with teeth and claws until a round-faced man near the cage recalled both of the pokemon into poké balls in his hands.

"Oh, it looks like the charmeleon wins this one!" an amplified voice echoed down from the catwalk above. Ryan looked up and saw a young man with a goatee and a black bandanna on his head holding a bullhorn. "If you were rooting for the quilava, don't worry. He'll get his shot at revenge in next week's rematch."

Stacy leaned in close to Ryan. "So what do you think? Is this what we're looking for?"

"Maybe," Ryan replied in a low voice. "Did you see how skinny those pokemon were? Pit fighters usually only starve their pokemon like that when they're new and haven't learned to be vicious. Or it could be that they just wanted an extra bloody fight. They definitely got that."

"And now," the man with the bullhorn called out, "get ready for the main event! First, the champion. He's the undisputed master of the pit, the purple poison punisher. It's... King!

The round-faced man at ringside stuck a poké ball through a small hole in the fencing of the fighting ring and a spiky, purple pokemon that looked like a shorter version of Christina's rhydon Crash emerged: a nidoking. It twitched its large, rounded ears at the shouts of the crowd and bellowed back in response, a sound halfway between a roar and a screech that made the spectators cheer all the louder.

"And now the challenger," the man on the catwalk continued. "Fast as lightning and zaps like it, too. It's electrike!"

A small, green canine-like pokemon materialized in the ring. Its ears, along with the long fur on its head swept backward, giving it a streamlined look but it stood less than half the nidoking's height. Small bruises dotted its gaunt frame.

"But wait!" the man on the catwalk called. "One scrawny electrike wouldn't be much challenge to King. So he's going to fight three!"

The round-faced man released two more electrike then shouted, "King, attack!"

The nidoking rushed toward the first electrike and kicked it squarely in the side, sending it flying into the side of the ring. It bounced off of the fencing and tumbled to the ground.

From behind, one of the other two electrike shot a burst of electricity at the nidoking. The arcing electrical attack flashed brightly enough to force the spectators nearest the ring to shield their eyes, but when it subsided, it left no sign of injury on the nidoking whatsoever.

The third electrike dashed in and began harrying the nidoking with quick bites at the larger, slower opponent. The nidoking bellowed in frustration as its legs were quickly becoming bloodied from the rapid-fire assault, its own counterattacks too slow too catch the nimble electrike. As the electrike dashed in for yet another blistering attack, the nidoking lashed out with its thick, heavy tail in a sweeping arc around it. The electrike easily jumped over the lashing tail but the canny nidoking lowered its head directly into the path of the electrike's leap, goring it with the horn in its forehead and tossing it aside with a flick of its head.

The electrike landed on its feet, but tilted unsteadily, favoring the side that now carried a puncture wound from which dribbled a thick, purple liquid. The nidoking advanced on its injured opponent, slashing at it with its claws. The electrike dodged the attacks but its movements quickly grew more and more sluggish until, barely able to keep its feet, it was struck by a swipe of the nidoking's powerful tail which sent it tumbling. When it came to rest in a corner of the ring, it didn't get up.

The nidoking turned its attention to the final electrike which seemed daunted by the fact that its previous electrical attack had no effect. It backed away as the nidoking advanced on it, sending jolt after jolt of electrical power which danced harmlessly around the nidoking's body. Finally, backed into a corner, the electrike looked helplessly up at its foe who reached down and snatched it up into its hands. The nidoking held the cowering green pokemon before its face and shrieked, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

The shouts from the spectators at ringside began to synchronize into a chant, "Kill, kill, kill!" that soon was echoed from those in the bleachers. The nidoking, in response to the crowd, held the electrike up higher and shook it, drawing even louder chants from the spectators. Finally, the nidoking gripped the squirming electrike by the throat and with a savage pull, ripped its throat out, flinging spatters of blood into the crowd.

The nidoking dropped the electrike's lifeless body and screeched again, bringing even louder cheers from the crowd.

"The winner and still champion," the man with the bullhorn called out, "is King!"

Ryan looked over at Stacy who stared ashen-faced at the motionless bodies of the three electrike lying on the floor of the ring, the third one surrounded by an expanding pool of blood. "I think we've seen enough," he said. "Let's go." He gently led her out of the warehouse and down the adjoining alley.

Ryan looked over at Stacy, still pale, who sat with her arms clasped to her middle, tears lining her eyes. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just..." Stacy voice faltered as she wiped her eyes dry. "I've never seen a pokemon killed like that before. Ripped apart."

"It happens more often than you think," Ryan said quietly. "At least it makes our job easier. They're going to..." Ryan paused, considering his words, "...discard the remains of the ones that died. When they do, we can examine them to see if they have the same surgical marks."

Stacy nodded silently in response.

"You sit tight while I keep an eye out, then." He glanced at the small, round bulges of the poké balls in her pockets. "You have Max with you, right? Can I borrow him for a sec?"

She pulled out a poké ball and handed it to him. He walked a short distance away and activated it, causing Stacy's blaziken to materialize before him.

"Damn, I never get used to how big you are," Ryan said as Max looked down questioningly at him. Ryan leaned in and said in a low voice, "I need you to keep an eye on Stacy for a while, okay? She's kind of having a rough time of things right now, you understand?"

The blaziken glanced over at Stacy who sat on the concrete steps, staring at the ground. He nodded at Ryan then went and sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders and murmuring a soft bass note of concern, nudging her cheek with his beak. Stacy looked up at him and smiled, leaning into his side.

Ryan left the two of them and found a spot from which to inconspicuously keep watch on the arena warehouse. A short while later, Ryan returned, Cutter once again at his side, and signalled for them to follow, leading them to a dumpster behind another nearby warehouse. He poked at several of the bags on top, then hoisted one out and onto the ground.

He cut open the dark green plastic bag with his multi-tool, revealing the dead body of an electrike, its green fur dark and matted with its own dried blood. "Just one, by the looks of it. I was sure the one that got poisoned was a goner." While Stacy watched, he carefully examined the body, trying to avoid getting too much blood on his hands. "Yeah, this is it," he said, holding the fur apart on the back of its neck. "Same scars."

"We're taking these bastards down."

Ryan nodded. "Alright. They should still be inside, tallying the money they made. We can follow one of them when they leave. Catch him off guard away from..."

"No," she interrupted. "I mean all of them. Here. Now."

Ryan blinked in surprise. "What, you mean rush the place? I counted at least five guys in there who looked like they weren't spectators and I guarantee that at least some of them have guns."

"Then we send our steel pokemon in first. The others can run cleanup behind them."

"This isn't a game, Stacy. If we bust in there, those guys are going to try to kill us."

"If we do it your way, we'll get our information but they'll keep on doing what they do. If we just call the cops, we lose our chance to question them." She fastened her deep green eyes on him. "I'm doing this with or without you."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Because what they're doing," she said through gritted teeth, "it's wrong and it's evil and those pokemon suffer and die because of it." She let out a long breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them, the heat in them was gone. "My pokemon are strong and powerful. But if I can't use that power to stop something terrible when it happens right in front of me, then what good is it? What good am I?"

Silence hung between them, unbroken but for a gentle gust of the evening wind that made Ryan cross his arms against the chill. Finally, he let out a sigh, his expression serious. "Are your pokemon going to be willing to hurt people? Maybe even kill? Because if we do this, there's no holding back. Not for any of us. You sure you're up for that?"

Stacy took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll talk to my pokemon - make sure they understand what's going to happen."

"Okay. You better bring out your A-team for this one, then."

Stacy pulled out three more poké balls. Gia, her gardevoir and Rush, her luxray joined Max who already stood by her. The third pokemon she released had the appearance of a giant penguin, dark blue and white in color, which stood almost equal in height to her. Its golden beak swept back and up into a barbed, three-pronged crest - a golden trident - which crowned its head. Its large flipper-wings were edged in gleaming metal and sported clawed fingers on their inner surface toward the ends. Ryan was at once taken by the aura of dignity and unmistakable dangerousness that this pokemon - an empoleon - exuded by its mere presence.

"This is Freya," Stacy said. "As you can see, she's a steel-type. She's not my fastest pokemon, but she's as tough as they come." She turned to her gardevoir. "Gia, we're going to be doing something very important and very dangerous. I need Max, Rush and Freya to understand what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

Ryan watched Stacy gather her pokemon around the bag containing the body of the electrike and begin speaking to them in a low voice. He turned and released Buster from his poké ball, who looked up at him with crystal-blue eyes. The metalleon sniffed at the air, then looked toward where the electrike lay. Ryan knelt and explained what they had seen and what they were planning to do, pausing for Cutter to psychically translate the more complex concepts for Buster. After he finished, he asked "Are you and Buster going to be okay with what we have in mind? You don't have to do it if you don't want to - we can probably pull it off with just Stacy's pokemon - but we could really use your guys' help."

Ryan watched Cutter turn his focus toward Buster in another psychic exchange. _We understand what you are asking of us and the dangers involved_ , Cutter said to Ryan, _and we're ready to fight_.

"Ryan," Stacy called, "we're ready."

Ringed by their pokemon, Ryan and Stacy made their way through the night-darkened alleyways back to the arena's warehouse.

"Don't do anything stupid," Ryan said to Stacy as they approached. "When the shooting starts, keep behind cover. Let your pokemon do the fighting."

Stacy smiled. "I seem to remember someone telling you the same thing not too long ago."

"I'm serious," Ryan said. "I don't want to be the one to tell your mother you got shot. Now, are you ready?"

Stacy nodded and said to Gia. "Stay hidden out here. If things go bad, run and get help, okay?"

Gia inclined her head and retreated into the shadows.

Stacy and Ryan walked up to a door in the rear of the warehouse. Stacy quietly tried the door and found it locked. She turned to her empoleon. "Okay, Freya. Do just like I told you."

Freya extended a flipper and a blue-white beam shot from it at the metal door, frost slowly spreading from the point of contact. The empoleon held the beam until the doorknob was surrounded by a giant, white, frozen circle that covered nearly half the door. Releasing the beam, she lunged forward, driving her steel-clad flipper through the ice. The supercooled metal beneath shattered, falling to the ground in tinkling chunks.

Freya shouldered through the ruined door which now swung easily inward. Buster, his body now armored in metal, followed close on her heels.

Astonished voices rose in alarm from inside, followed by staccato pops of gunfire. Peeking in through the doorway, Ryan saw Buster charging toward the large, bald doorman who held a large handgun in both hands, frantically firing. Sparks flashed where bullets struck Buster's metallic coat as he leapt at the burly man, his jaws closing around the man's arm. He screamed in pain, the gun falling from his hands as Buster dragged him to the ground.

Freya, meanwhile, was advancing on a second gunman with one giant flipper raised like a shield before her. Then, with a single swift movement, she dropped her shielding flipper and pointed the other flipper at her attacker, shooting an icy beam from its tip. The man dropped to his knees, holding his arm, now rimed with frost, where the beam struck him. Another beam struck the gun which now lay on the floor, dropped from ice-numb fingers, encasing it in ice.

A third man flung a trio of poké balls, from which emerged two small, dark, shaggy canine pokemon and a similar, larger one - two poochyena and a mightyena. "Attack!" he yelled, and the three pokemon rushed into the fray. From the catwalk above, Ryan saw the young man with the goatee and bandanna shooting down at Freya with his own handgun.

"Cutter, get in there and take care of the one Buster's fighting," Ryan said, "then tell him to go after the guy up top. Stacy, the other pokemon are yours."

"Come on guys," Stacy said to her pokemon, "let's help Freya out."

Max and Rush ran inside, Stacy ducking in behind them. Ryan and Cutter dashed in as well, Ryan ducking behind the bleachers for cover while Cutter ran toward where Buster had the doorman pinned to the ground.

With a single punch to the man's face, Cutter stilled the doorman's struggles. He then sent Buster running up the stairs that led to the catwalk.

The man with the goatee and bandanna stopped shooting long enough to throw a poké ball, from which emerged the nidoking that had fought earlier. Conspicuously absent, Ryan noted, were any signs of its previous injuries. The local champion, apparently, rated better care than the others. His trainer, however, was now heading for a staircase on the opposite end of the catwalk toward the front of the building.

On the floor below, Ryan picked up the gun dropped by the doorman as one of the poochyena split off from its group and headed toward where he and Cutter stood. Cutter engaged charcoal-colored canine, but despite his superior size and strength, Cutter's blades seemed to be having no effect. Above, Buster was also struggling with his opponent as the powerful nidoking's blows rang loudly against his metallic coat.

"Ryan, switch your pokemon!" Stacy called from across the room. "That nidoking is weak to Cutter's attacks."

"Buster, come down and take care of this one!" Ryan shouted. "Cutter, the big guy's yours."

Cutter nodded, waiting for Buster to bound down the stairs and join the fight on the floor before running up to meet the nidoking. Ryan, meanwhile bolted toward the opposite end of the warehouse, running past the battle between Stacy's pokemon and the remaining poochyena and mightyena - or, more accurately, the end of it: The poochyena already lay at Freya's webbed feet while the mightyena, hemmed in by Rush's electrical barrage, was being brutally battered by Max's fists.

The bandanna man raced down the far stairs whose end lay near the front door. His round-faced companion, close behind, almost bowled him over as he abruptly stopped mere feet from the bottom of the stairs, Ryan barring their way with the doorman's gun pointed at them. They turned toward the sound of a screeching cry that echoed from the other side of the warehouse as a slash from Cutter's blades sent the nidoking tumbling down the stairs, coming to rest on the floor mewling in pain next to the second defeated poochyena.

"Gentlemen, I think we need to talk," Ryan said. He pointed toward an empty area in the middle of the warehouse. "Move."

The five men sat on the floor, ringed by Ryan's and Stacy's pokemon. The beaten pokemon had been returned to their poké balls which sat on a table, well out of reach.

"Who the hell are you people?" the man with the bandanna demanded. "What's your beef with us?"

Ryan waved the gun in his hand dismissively. "Personally, I don't care what you people do here, but my friend here is with the League and she has a real problem with what you're doing to your pokemon. Now, I need to know where you've been getting your new pokemon from - specifically, those electrike."

"Why should I tell you anything?" the man scoffed. "If she's League, you're just going to turn us in anyway."

"That's true," Ryan said, "but if you don't cooperate, I'm going to have Super Chicken here," he pointed at Max, "drag you up to the catwalk and give you a flying lesson. I guess we won't be calling the cops at that point, but that'll be the least of your worries."

Max, getting into the spirit of things, grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and pulled him up a few inches.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! Look, I got them from this creepy red haired woman, okay? She came here saying she had unusual pokemon she wanted to get rid of and asked if I was looking to buy."

"Who is she?" Ryan pressed. "Where can I find her?"

"I don't know. I don't even talk to her anymore. Whenever she wants to sell, she has one of her boys call me and arrange a meet."

"So you're telling me some woman just conveniently shows up one day offering to sell you exotic pokemon and you don't know who she is or where to find her? Bullshit." He turned to Max. "Take him up to the catwalk. Maybe one of his buddies will be more cooperative."

"It's the truth, I swear!" the man exclaimed as Max began dragging toward the stairs. "Lots of people know about our club. People come to us all the time to sell us pokemon. We don't ask a lot questions, okay?"

Ryan looked at Cutter. "Is he telling the truth?"

Cutter stared at the man for a moment. _I believe so_.

Ryan paused in thought, then asked, "When was the last time they called you? Day and time."

"Two days ago. About noon."

"Put your phone on the ground. Slowly."

"My phone? Why?"

"Just do it."

The man carefully pulled his phone from his pocket and set it down on the ground.

Ryan took out his own phone and held it out. "Tra-a-ace," he said in a singsong voice, "I've got something interesting for you to do."

Colorful shapes rose from the surface of Ryan's phone and assembled themselves into the form of a porygon. It hovered up and trilled inquisitively at Ryan.

"I've got a challenge for you, Trace. You up for it?"

Trace bobbed energetically in the air and trilled again.

"I need you to find out who called that phone two days ago at around noon and where to find them. Can you do that?"

Trace shifted the polygons around his eyes in the semblance of a furrowing brow, then nodded.

"Good. Come back to my phone when you're done. Have fun."

Trace swooped down and touched the man's phone, dissolving into it.

"Looks like we're done," Ryan said to Stacy. "You can call your friends, now."

A short time later, Ryan and Stacy stood outside, watching people carrying pokemon out of the warehouse and loading them into vans emblazoned with the stylized poké ball symbol of the Pokemon League. The men who ran the pit fighting arena were being led away by police officers to waiting patrol cars.

"I know the people who run the rescue shelter where they're taking those pokemon," Stacy said. They'll take good care of them." She held up one of her own poké balls. "Now we need to take care of ours."

# # #

Ryan and Stacy sat in the waiting room of the pokemon center which echoed with the sounds of some small children fussing at the feet of their mother and a wall-mounted television's tinny speakers.

"All things considered," Stacy said, "I think things went fairly well. Our pokemon pulled off a tough job and none of them, or us, got seriously hurt. You're very lucky to have someone like Cutter who can talk to you and your pokemon," she added. "This would've been hard to pull off otherwise."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool," Ryan said, "but psychic pokemon aren't all that rare, you know."

Stacy frowned. "You don't think that all psychic pokemon can communicate like Cutter does do you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, Gia does and she's psychic. Besides, if they can read your mind, can't they tell what you mean?"

"To a point," Stacy said. "Psychic pokemon can pick up on basic feelings and actions easily enough. For example, they can tell if a person is angry or sad or if they're about to attack. They can send their own thoughts, too, but they usually only come across as broken images and raw feelings. A pokemon has to become intimately familiar with the human mind and learn how we think in order to communicate like we do. I spent a long time working with Gia before she was able to talk like she does."

"I guess the NuGen people must've taught him, then. Makes sense, considering what they had him doing."

"Yeah. I guess so." Stacy paused, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Back at the warehouse," she said, her voice dropping, "did you really mean what you said? About not caring about what those people were doing?"

"I don't like it, if that's what you're asking," Ryan replied, "but aside from getting the info we wanted, what we did won't make a bit of difference." He saw the dubious expression on her face and continued, "Sure, we busted those guys but there are probably at least half a dozen other pit fighting rings in here in Angel City alone. And even if you busted all of them, sooner or later someone else will just take their place. In the grand scheme of things, what we did meant nothing."

"We may not be able to change the world," Stacy said, "but we changed this part of it. And right now, because of us, there are a few pokemon who aren't being beaten and starved and forced to fight to a miserable death. What we did meant something to them."

Ryan looked away, staring off at the far end of the waiting room, his expression somber. "Lucky them."

Stacy blinked, then just as she was about to speak, a woman wearing green scrubs walked up to them.

"Miss Lynd, Mister Meadows, your pokemon are ready to go home."

# # #

Ryan walked up to the front porch of the clinic after having been dropped off and found a sticky note on the front door which read, "I left some minestrone soup for you in the fridge in case you didn't eat a proper dinner, which, knowing you, you probably didn't. - Dr. Lynd."

Once inside, Ryan let Cutter and Buster out of their poké balls. While they went upstairs, he went to the refrigerator and poured himself a bowl of the soup Doctor Lynd left, heating it up in the microwave. After he finished, he headed to his room where his pokemon were already settled in for the night.

He took a quick shower and after he finished, found his phone chiming with an incoming text. He clicked it on and read the message which was sent by Christina.

"I hear you guys found a lead. Stacy told me some of what happened, but I can tell there's a lot she left out. If you want to talk, I'm all ears."

Ryan put the phone down and lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling for awhile. Then he picked up his phone again, intending to turn it off. He paused a moment, holding it in his hand.

Then he turned it on and began to type.


	5. Prometheus

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Prometheus**

Inside a darkened room, a man and a woman stood behind a two way mirror watching people file into the room beyond. The man stood stiffly in a clean white lab coat, his short, dark hair and immaculately trimmed beard flecked with iron gray. The woman stood in sharp contrast, her willowy form held at ease as she watched the procession. Her delicate features, topped with a tumble of vivid red hair, lent her an unearthly air muted slightly into the mundane by the thin-framed glasses she wore.

"Miss Crane, are you sure it's a good idea recruiting the homeless?" the man asked, stroking his beard. "This group looks particularly - bedraggled."

"One shouldn't judge by appearances, Gregory. I've found that they make ideal employees. We provide them room, board and a generous salary. In return they provide exceptionally dedicated service. They tend to have few external ties which reduces the likelihood of them compromising our work and many of them are quite skilled. We've even picked some ex-military this way."

"I would prefer you to call me Doctor Talbot, if you don't mind."

She peered at him with an arched eyebrow. "You're an interesting person to work with but your slavish devotion to formality and titles is one of your less endearing traits. Had I wanted, I could've pursued a doctorate myself, but I preferred working in the field producing real-world results rather than toiling in a classroom poring over theories. That's why I was able to solve the interface problems you were having and bring Project Prometheus to fruition."

"It's a matter of professionalism," he said, not turning his head to meet her eyes. "I assume you've been following the protocols I've laid out regarding the pokemon test subjects and are releasing them alive?"

"Yes, of course," she said airily, waving a dismissive hand.

"I expect you to take this seriously. This is science, not butchery."

"Need I remind you," she began in a slightly annoyed tone, "that Mr. Vanderburg is paying the bills here, not you?"

Now, Doctor Talbot did turn to face her. "And need I remind _you_ that Mr. Vanderburg made it clear that this is still my project?"

Miss Crane looked up at the hard-eyed man in front of her. "For someone whose greatest achievements are being realized before his eyes, you sure are a grumpy one," she said, her smile returning. "Now, come. I do believe we have work to do."

# # #

The sun had climbed only few finger widths above the eastern horizon when Cutter awoke. He rubbed his eyes and began pulling the covers back slowly so as not to disturb Ryan, but to his surprise, he found Ryan's side of the bed already empty. A glance toward the adjoining bathroom found the door open and the bathroom unoccupied. Cutter hopped out of bed and yawned, stretching his arms above him, his arm blades extending down past his shoulders as he did so.

Cutter went downstairs and found Ryan busily cleaning countertops and stocking cabinets - an activity he usually performed much later in the day. Apparently, Ryan was finally taking his advice and getting an earlier start on his daily activities.

 _You came back in a little later than usual last night,_ Cutter said as he walked up to Ryan. _I didn't get a chance to ask how your date with Christina went._

"It wasn't a date," Ryan said. "We have an arrangement, that's all."

 _So you didn't have a good time, then?_

"I didn't say that."

 _So you did have a good time._

Ryan shrugged. "It was better than I thought it would be."

 _You make it sound like you expected things to be unpleasant._

"It's not that, it's just that with the way she acts most of the time, I wasn't expecting much in the way of conversation. It turns out she's got a pretty good head on her shoulders. We actually spent more time talking than eating. To be honest, I'm surprised she doesn't have a boyfriend to keep her occupied. I mean, she's definitely got a lot going for her in the looks department. I doubt she'd have much trouble finding guys who are interested."

 _That's just it, though. The vast majority of boys who express an interest in her company do so for purely physical reasons._

"How would you know that?"

 _She speaks with me about several aspects of her personal life._

Ryan paused in his cleaning. "She does?"

 _Does that surprise you? As much as I enjoy our conversations, and I sincerely do, I also enjoy opportunities to converse with others._

"I'm not surprised that you talk to other people, Cutter, I'm just surprised that she'd talk about something that personal with you. I mean, she hasn't really known you all that long."

 _That is true, but she's quite personable and we've developed something of a rapport. Also, it's been my experience that people are often willing to share things with pokemon that they might not be comfortable sharing with another human. I'm guessing it's because most pokemon are capable of understanding just enough to be sympathetic but lack the faculties to divulge what is being shared or pass judgment on it. That, and people tend to view pokemon as cute, and thus, approachable._ Cutter smiled and batted his eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, aren't you just adorable," Ryan said, resuming his work.

 _Did you know that Christina began to physically mature at a younger age than is typical? As a result, she suffered considerable disdain and ridicule from her peers while at the same time, received a great deal of attention from those older than her who were interested in her for purely physical reasons. For the past few years now, this has caused her no small amount of distress. We spoke at some length about this. After all, I know a thing or two about being valued primarily for your genetic attributes._

Ryan frowned. "That sounds like some pretty personal stuff, Cutter. I don't know if she'd be happy about you telling me about it."

 _In this particular case I think it's alright, as long as you exercise discretion with this information. I shared it because I believe that knowing this will help provide context for your interactions with her. You should also know that she greatly values your company because you always treat her with respect and your interactions are without ulterior motives._

Ryan shrugged one shoulder. "I just treat her like I would anyone else. It's too bad she doesn't have more friends, though. I mean, she's not that bad to hang around with, even though she is four years younger than I am."

 _Actually, it's closer to three years - her fifteenth birthday is coming up soon. I believe that a gift from you would be well received._

"I'll keep it in mind," Ryan said with a yawn, "if I haven't been fired by then."

 _Fired?_ Cutter's large eyes widened momentarily in surprise. _I wasn't aware that Doctor Lynd was dissatisfied with your job performance. When did this happen?_

"It's not a matter of being dissatisfied, it's a matter of me being redundant. Now that she has that new veterinary intern working with her, she won't need me to help out around here anymore. If I don't find ways to stay useful, it's only a matter of time until she gives me the boot."

 _I think you misunderstand your relationship with Doctor Lynd. She seems quite fond of you._

"Really? You of all people should understand what I'm talking about." Ryan waited for his words to sink in, but when Cutter's look of bewilderment persisted, he pressed on. "You used to work at NuGen, right? Spent a lot of time with the people who worked there? Got to know them?"

 _Yes. Why?_

"Haven't you wondered why none of them have come looking for you? Asked how you've been? Asked if you're coming back? You left kind of suddenly, you know. Don't you think there'd be at least someone who was concerned?"

 _I already told you I have no interest in returning there._

"But they don't know that. For all they know, I kidnapped you. When Trace found me, it wasn't because they sent him looking for you, it was because they had written him off, just like they've written you off. You know why? Because you already helped them finish their Technical Machine project. They stopped caring because you stopped being useful."

Cutter shifted his feet uneasily and looked away.

"That's how people are, Cutter," he continued in a softer tone. "The only time they care about someone else is when there's something in it for them."

 _Not everyone is like that,_ Cutter said without turning his head.

"Maybe not, but if you live your life expecting the people around you to be the different ones, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment." Ryan stared at Cutter, who still wouldn't meet his eyes, and sighed heavily. "Look, I need to get this stuff finished so I don't wind up out on the street again, okay?"

Cutter nodded and turned to leave but before he walked through the door, he stopped. _You always talk as if you have to do everything yourself,_ he said over his shoulder. _You're not alone, you know._

Ryan said nothing, continuing his work in silence.

About an hour later, after Ryan had finished, his phone rang with a now-familiar distinctive tone. He pulled the phone out of his pocket but instead of answering it, he simply placed it on a nearby table. A moment later, Trace emerged from the phone's surface, assembling himself into his physical form.

"That was faster than I expected," Ryan said. "I hope you have good news."

Trace twittered cheerily and his eyes glowed, projecting in midair a holographic split-screen display. The right half showed a telephone number and service details from a cellular service provider while the left half showed a detail map of Angel City with clusters of blue dots overlaid on it, each dot paired with a date and time stamp as well as GPS coordinates.

"So this is our mystery caller, huh?" Ryan pointed to one spot on the map where most of the dots overlapped during the daytime hours. "And this must be where he works. Good job, Trace."

# # #

At about noon, Stacy strolled into the clinic's kitchen where Ryan and Cutter sat at the table eating sandwiches while nearby, Buster had his face buried in a food bowl on the floor.

"Ryan, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Stacy said, gesturing to the man walking in behind her. "This is Gerard Lafayette. He's a pokemon researcher who works with the League. He's interested in talking to us, but he said he was anxious to meet you in particular."

The man who now stood beside Stacy was a bit on the tall side and thin, standing just shy of six feet with short, curly, sandy brown hair. The pocket on his button-down shirt bulged with pens and an assortment of other small, unseen objects. At his side was a bipedal fox-like pokemon that stood just over half his height. Thick, yellow fur covered most of its body except its legs, which were black, and its face and chest, which were mostly white. Large tufts of dark orange fur sprouted from its ears and a stick jutted from its bushy tail.

" _Bonjour_ ," the man said, extending a hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, _Monsieur_ Meadows."

"Likewise," Ryan responded, shaking his hand. "Just call me Ryan."

"Of course. And if it pleases you, you may call me Gerard." He gestured to the pokemon at his side. "And this is my companion, Fleur."

"Between the accent and your braixen, I assume you're from Kalos, then?"

"Indeed, I am," Gerard said. "When I was a boy, I found Fleur as a fennekin, capering in a field of flowers near the town where I grew up. That is why I named her so. When I grew up, I went on to study at the Royal University of Kalos at Lumiose, and then came to America to complete my studies at the University of Angel City. The Aureus region has many fascinating species of pokemon that are not found in Kalos." He smiled and looked toward Buster. "And apparently some not found anywhere else. Officially, I have come in hopes of studying your - metalleon, I believe you named the species?"

As if suddenly aware of his presence, Buster looked up from his food bowl toward Gerard, licking his mouth.

"Yep. Seemed like a pretty straightforward name. So, what kind of 'studying' did you have in mind?" He paused and cocked his head. "And what do you mean, 'officially'?"

"My study of your pokemon would be quite benign, I assure you. For now, I would like to observe it, collect a few loose hairs after a brushing and perhaps a few mouth swabs. And the reason I said 'officially' is because unofficially, I am here at the behest of the Pokemon League to assist you in gathering information on what appears to be an organized and systematic abuse of pokemon."

Ryan blinked. "You guys know about that, huh?"

"Indeed. These abuses had come to the League's attention even before your friend shared what the two of you had found."

"You're in luck, then. As it happens, I'm pretty sure I know where they're conducting their experiments. Or at least one of the places, anyway. The League can send in their boys and shut them down."

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple," Gerard said. "While the League has considerable influence, they have no authority to make arrests. They need evidence to present to their contacts within law enforcement."

"And they need someone to do the things they can't in order to get that evidence, right?"

Gerard watched as Buster padded over and began sniffing at Fleur, who swiftly produced the stick from her tail and rapped him lightly on the nose. "Unofficially, yes."

Stacy thumped her hand on the table. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"A plan, for starters," Ryan said. "We'll have to go take a look at this place first to see what we're up against, but I think I have something that might work."

# # #

"This isn't going to work," Stacy said. "Anyone who's seen a movie - ever - won't buy it."

Ryan and Stacy sat in her car across the street from a nondescript, multistory building. Its grey cinder block exterior and slightly dusty windows blended in with the other tall, weathered, not-quite-shabby-looking office buildings that lined the street. A ramp from the street dipped down into a parking garage below the first floor.

"They don't have to buy it," Ryan replied. "I just need an excuse to walk through the door. After that, it won't matter if they throw me out on my ass."

"I hope you're right."

Ryan grinned and hefted the lumpy plastic bag. "Trust me."

Ryan crossed the street and entered the building's parking garage. He saw surprisingly few cars parked there, considering the building's size. After a quick look around, he found an elevator and went inside. He glanced at the six buttons corresponding to the five floors and the garage and pushed the button for the first floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Ryan was surprised to find a rather spacious reception area laid out in front of him, complete with comfortable couches and magazines stacked on end tables - all rather odd things to find in a supposedly secret illegal laboratory. A large reception desk stood opposite the elevator occupied by a young man smartly dressed in a button-down shirt and tie. Ryan found himself momentarily at a loss by the sheer incongruity of what he was seeing and what he'd been expecting.

"Welcome sir. Are you here to apply?" the man behind the desk asked.

"Apply? No, I have a delivery," Ryan said, quickly composing himself. He set the plastic bag down on one of the couches, using the motions of pulling out its contents to mask him sliding his cell phone deep between the couch's cushions. He straightened and held out several Chinese take-out boxes. "Kung pao chicken, egg rolls and fried rice," he said to the receptionist.

The receptionist frowned. "I'm the one who normally orders lunch and I definitely didn't order Chinese food today. Who ordered it?"

"I don't know. They give me the food and an address. My job's just to get it there." Ryan noted the receptionist's dubious expression and added, "Look, it's already paid for, so whether you take it or not doesn't matter to me."

"Just leave it here, then," the receptionist said. "Someone probably just made a special order for some of the new employees.

Ryan put the trio of small white cardboard boxes on the desk and got back into the elevator without further incident. A few minutes later, Ryan crossed the street back to Stacy's car and slid into the passenger seat.

"Well?" Stacy asked.

"Now we wait," Ryan replied. "Since we have a few hours to kill, what do you say we grab something to eat?" He quirked a half smile. "I happen to know a pretty good Chinese take-out place."

# # #

Later that evening, inside the office building, the reception room was dark and quiet, the employees having long since gone home. It was within that dark stillness that the cushions of one of the couches began to shift and bounce. A few gyrations later, the cushions popped loose and Ryan's porygon Trace emerged, shaking its birdlike head and buzzing its annoyance.

It looked around the room, then floated toward an electronic keypad on the wall near a door opposite the elevator. A horizontal beam of red light from Trace's eyes swept the keypad from top to bottom, then Trace touched its beak to the pad. A few moments later, the lit red LED on the keypad's face went out.

Trace unlocked the door with its mouth then returned to the cell phone in the couch it had emerged from and tapped it, sending a short text message.

A couple minutes later, the door opened from the stairwell beyond, from which Ryan and Stacy entered, flashlights shining in their hands. Trace floated up to Ryan and dropped the cell phone into his hands with an electronic twitter.

"Yes, you did a good job," Ryan said, then watched the porygon dissolve back into the phone. "Though I do wonder how he learned to do this sort of thing."

 _He's just insatiably curious,_ Cutter said from behind him. _Back at NuGen, once he learned that there were other systems than his own work terminal that held interesting data, he quickly found ways of getting in. The more they tried to keep him in his terminal, the better he got at getting out of it - and into others._

"Let's keep moving," Stacy said. "I don't want to be here any longer than we have to."

Ryan and Stacy proceeded to check the first floor, finding only office spaces and a few rooms that contained only tables and chairs. There was one room that was different from the others, however, as it contained a two-way mirror that gave a view of a conference room beyond. It was in this room that they found an electronically locked metal box mounted to the wall.

It actually took Trace a little while to get the lock open, but when he did, they discovered the box contained rows of keyrings hanging on pegs. The head of each key had a colored plastic inlay and each keyring appeared to contain different numbers of keys. Ryan took one of the rings that looked to have the most keys and the largest variety of colors and smiled. "Bingo," he whispered.

With his new acquisition, Ryan was able to unlock the stairwell door to the second floor which opened into a long hallway lined with doors. Taking them one at a time, Ryan and Stacy found the first few to be storerooms and broom closets with fairly ordinary contents.

The first room they came to that actually needed to be unlocked was a different story, for inside sat workbenches arrayed with magnifying lamps, soldering irons and an array of tools. Upon the workbenches sat small, complex electronic devices of uncertain function and incredible complexity. Ryan pulled out his cell phone and began taking pictures. They found other rooms like it as they went down the hallway, the devices and electronic equipment in each room larger and more complex than those found before.

Finally, they came to a door that required a different key than the others - one that had a red tag. As Ryan opened the door he noted a strange, yet oddly familiar chemical smell. He shined his flashlight around the room - one that was much larger than the others - and his eyes immediately fell on the cylindrical tanks lining one wall.

He entered to get a closer look and saw that the tanks closely resembled the ones he found at NuGen, some containing biological matter floating in a transparent liquid. As he examined them, he felt Cutter crowd in close against his side. Though Cutter remained silent, Ryan could feel a tingle of nervous energy radiating from the gallade.

Stacy, meanwhile, began examining the rows of glass-fronted cages on the opposite wall, shining her light in each one. The cages were of different sizes with larger ones on the bottom and smaller ones above, none of which appeared occupied. "Empty," she said. "They must've cleared them all out with the last shipment to that pit fighting ring."

Stacy gasped and recoiled in surprise as a tiny yellow shape darted forward from the shadowy recesses of one of the topmost cages, pressing itself against the glass.

"That one's not empty," Ryan said with a smirk.

"I can see that," she said, recovering her composure. She peered up at the creature for a moment, then opened the glass door and lifted it from its cage.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked.

"It's a pichu," she said, holding it carefully in both hands. Its small triangular ears twitched as it swivelled its head back and forth between Ryan and Stacy.

"I can see that it's a pichu. Why are you holding it?"

"Well, we're sure as hell not leaving it here," she said. It squirmed in her hands as she ran her fingers across its body. "I don't see any surgical scars on this one."

"They were probably waiting for it to mature before they started..." Ryan saw the apprehensive look in Cutter's eyes and let the rest of the sentence drop.

He turned his attention to a stainless steel-topped table in the middle of the room upon which lay some sort of long, reinforced glove or gauntlet. The hand portion appeared to be made primarily of black leather with carbon-fiber structural pieces reinforcing it along the back while the forearm piece consisted of tough plastic plating inset with buttons and electronic displays. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. "I recognize some of the parts on this," Ryan said. "Some of the stuff we found in the other rooms looks like sub-assemblies of this thing."

Stacy walked over, the pichu now settled into the crook of one arm. "What do you think it is?"

"Don't know," he said, snapping a picture of it with his phone. "It must have something to do with the pokemon they're experimenting on, though."

 _Ryan, someone's coming,_ Cutter said.

Ryan turned his head, barely hearing the quiet footsteps from out in the hallway just before two men walked through the door. Each of them wore black body armor and balaclavas which completely covered their heads. "Oh, shit," Ryan muttered.

One of the men pointed a flashlight at them. "You, there. Come with us. Now."

Ryan turned to Stacy. "We're getting the hell out of here," he whispered. "Follow me."

Ryan pulled his staff from its sheath on his back and whipped it open, charging the man with the flashlight. Ryan swung his weapon at the man's head, hoping for a quick knockdown, but to his surprise, he brought an arm up and blocked the blow. Ryan now saw that the black-clad man wore gauntlets similar to the one on the metal table and its armored forearm piece was what allowed him to fend off Ryan's attack without injury to his arm.

Ryan only had a moment to register this fact before the man stepped in close and counterattacked with an expertly executed flurry of strikes which sent Ryan reeling back several steps.

The second man, also wearing similar gauntlets, began moving in from the side. He pressed a button on the forearm of one gauntlet and extended his hand toward Ryan.

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise as a gout of flame burst forth from the man's gloved hand, shooting toward him from across the room. Fortunately, the man's aim was off just enough that Ryan wasn't hit with the full force of the blast. Nevertheless, the searing heat singed his arm and sent him diving for cover behind a table.

Cutter vaulted forward, engaging the first man as Ryan scrambled back from the fiery assault, quickly rejoining Stacy who was now also ducking behind the same table.

"Holy shit!" Ryan exclaimed, patting out his smoking shirt. "They've got security guards with flamethrowers?"

"Looks that way," Stacy replied as another blast of flame shot over their heads. She saw Ryan pulling a poké ball from his belt and caught his arm. "No, don't. Buster won't have a chance against someone tossing around fire."

Ryan peeked around the table and saw that the first armored guard was easily fending off Cutter's attacks. His gauntleted hands now arcing with electricity, the masked guard countered with brutal efficiency, each strike punctuated with a loud crack of electrical discharge as it connected. Within seconds, Cutter was staggering back, barely able to keep on his feet.

"Then get Freya in there and douse that guy!" Ryan said.

"I have a better idea." Stacy pulled one of her poké balls and activated it. Next to her materialized her gardevoir who looked around in surprise at the battle raging around her. Stacy quickly pulled her down behind the table with her. "Gia, psychic blast those two men, now!"

Gia flinched as another blast of flame shot over them, then she nodded and stood.

The air rippled with the waves of psychic force that shot from Gia's forehead. Ryan, crouching nearby, flinched as he felt the blasts pass overhead. The two masked men, however, cried out in pain, dropping to their knees and clutching their heads.

"Go!" Stacy cried and surged forward. Ryan followed close on her heels, pausing long enough to pull Cutter along with him.

As they passed the men, the fire-wielding guard, still staggered from Gia's attack, shakily raised his gauntlet, pointing it at Ryan. Ryan ducked his head, but to his surprise, no flames shot toward him.

Without wasting another moment, Ryan, Stacy and their pokemon dashed down the stairwell and out of the building.

# # #

As Stacy drove them along through the night, Ryan reached into a duffel bag and pulled out a colorful plastic spray bottle. In the back seat Gia looked on with concern at Cutter, her delicate arm around his shoulders as he sat slumped next to her, his face battered and marred with electrical burns.

Ryan turned around in his seat and held up the bottle. "Close your eyes tight," he said. "This stuff smells like it stings." He waited until Cutter complied then liberally sprayed his face. The liquid bubbled as it hit Cutter's broken skin, its pungent medicinal scent quickly filling the small car.

 _It does sting,_ Cutter said weakly.

"Don't worry," Stacy said. "We're going to the nearest Pokemon Center that's not in the immediate area." She glanced at Ryan's split lip and swelling cheek. "You don't look so good, either."

"I've had worse," Ryan said, stashing the bottle back into the duffel bag. "You know, that guy with the electricity hands might've had some battery packs stashed somewhere, but there's no way in hell that other guy could've thrown around that much fire without fuel tanks, which I definitely didn't see. Those gauntlets must be some sort of bio-tech weaponry powered by the pokemon parts they're growing in those tanks."

"This is serious," Stacy said. "The Lumiose Accords specifically prohibit any nation or entity from using pokemon as weapons of war."

"Gerard ought to have a field day with this, then." Ryan looked down at the pichu in his lap. "And why do I have to keep holding this thing, anyway?"

"Because I'm driving," Stacy replied, "and I don't want it running loose in the car, especially when it might accidentally shock Cutter, who's already injured."

"Oh, but you don't mind if it shocks me?"

She looked over at him and smiled. "It won't if you're nice to it."

# # #

The next morning, Doctor Lynd walked out of the kitchen of her clinic after having finished nursing Alexander and found Stacy and Ryan arguing. Kala, her kangaskhan, followed close behind.

"If you think he's so great, why don't you take care of him?" Ryan said sharply.

"Because I already have six to take care of. You only have two," Stacy retorted.

"I have three."

"Trace doesn't count. You don't even have to feed him."

Doctor Lynd stepped forward. "It's a bit early for raised voices. What's this about?"

Ryan pointed at the pichu Stacy held. "Stacy's trying to stick me with another pokemon."

"We rescued Spike together and now he wants to just get rid of him," Stacy protested.

Doctor Lynd raised her eyebrows. "Spike?"

"Yeah, because of his hair," Stacy said, ruffling the shock of long, spiky hair bent forward on top of the pichu's head.

Doctor Lynd handed her baby to Kala then walked over to Stacy. She looked down at the pichu held in her arms. "Your arguing is upsetting him, Stacy," she said, noting the harried look on the diminutive pokemon's face.

Chastised, Stacy ducked her head and murmured an apology.

Doctor Lynd gently took the pichu from Stacy. "Now, I need a minute with Ryan," she told her quietly.

Ryan watched Stacy leave the room, then braced himself for another hard sell.

Doctor Lynd settled Spike into the crook of one arm, using her free hand to gently rub its red cheeks. "You don't have to take him if you don't want to."

Ryan blinked in surprise. "I don't?"

"Of course not. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Well," Ryan began tentatively, "you were kind of pushy with Buster."

"I suppose I was, but you only had one pokemon then." She leaned down and nuzzled the pichu with her nose. "Raising a young pokemon is a bit like raising a child. It takes a lot of time and effort to do it right. I can see that you already have quite a bit on your plate, so if you say you're not ready for another, then you're not."

"Maybe Christina will take him," Ryan offered. "She only has Twitch and Crash."

"I don't think that would be a good idea. She's got her hands full at the moment training some bad habits out of Crash and also, her having two energetic electric pokemon together would probably be more than she could handle. Don't worry. I'll get in touch with some people I know and make sure he gets a proper home. In the meantime, I'd like to ask a small favor."

"Oh?"

"I don't have the time to take care of Spike and it won't do to simply leave him in a cage. I'd like you to look after him until I find him a home." Seeing his protest already forming, she held up a forestalling hand. "I'm not trying to trick you into taking him, I simply need someone capable and reliable to look after his basic needs, just as you do with the other patients here."

Ryan looked at the pichu, then at Doctor Lynd. "Yeah. I guess I could do that," he finally said.

"Good. Since you're taking care of him for me, feel free to use the clinic's supplies for anything you need for him."

"Will do. So, um, anyway," he said, his eyes shifting away, "I noticed that Mister Grant has been doing a lot of stuff for you, lately. Things must be a lot better having your new intern around."

She thought for a moment, scratching her cheek. "Taylor is a fine veterinarian and a gifted student but he seems to have an aversion to the kinds of everyday office maintenance needed for a private practice like this one. I'm sure he'll do quite well at a big Pokemon Center where they have staff to change dirty cages and clean the test equipment." She paused to roll her eyes a little. "Anyway, I'm glad you're still around to take care of all that."

Ryan looked back and nodded. "I'm glad that you're happy with my work."

"Quite so, young man," she said with mock seriousness. "Oh, and one more thing." She pointedly looked at the splotch of reddened skin on his arm. "The next time you get a burn, I expect you to tell me about it. That one looks dangerously close to second-degree."

The look on her face was dishearteningly stern, but Ryan also saw genuine concern evident in her eyes.

"I will," he said.

After excusing himself, Ryan went back upstairs to his room. He looked down at the sofa bed where Cutter, who would normally have been long since awake, still lay sleeping. Though his injuries were healed, the doctor at the pokemon center said he would need time to rest before he would fully recover. Ryan watched him for awhile, then sat down on the floor near the bed, his arms laid across his knees, staring at the carpet, the silence in the room broken only by the faint sound of Cutter's breathing.

# # #

A few days later, Gerard and his braixen, Fleur, arrived at the clinic for one of his now-regular visits to study and observe Buster. Today, Ryan saw that Stacy accompanied him.

Stacy sat down on one of the sofas in the currently empty waiting room. "Gerard called me and said he had some news for us."

Buster perked up as everyone found a seat, dashing out of the room then returning with a bluk berry in his mouth.

"First, I want to thank you for the information you were able to obtain," Gerard began. "It answered a great many questions."

"So you were able to bust those guys, right?" Ryan asked.

Gerard sighed. "I'm afraid not. We were able to put the information in the right hands quickly but when the building was searched, nothing suspicious was found. Whatever you found there before has obviously been removed and with startling efficiency."

Buster padded up to Fleur and set the berry at her feet. She picked up the saliva-coated berry, sniffing it with a dubious expression.

"But we have pictures!" Stacy exclaimed. "And we saw everything they had there, including those weapon gauntlets. We're witnesses."

"You have pictures of the devices, yes, but they don't show them shooting fire or electricity as you claim. And as far as being witnesses, you were committing a crime by breaking into that building, which not only harms your credibility but raises the possibility of you being prosecuted if you were to come forward officially."

Ryan leaned forward in his seat, pointing a finger. "Hey, don't forget you're the one who asked us do to this."

"Indeed," Gerard replied, "which is why we have taken every precaution to shield your identities and passed on your evidence anonymously."

Buster slunk back to where Ryan sat, his ears drooping. Cutter, standing nearby, leaned in close to Buster and a moment later, Buster's ears perked up again. Cutter crossed to the front door, holding it open and Buster dashed outside.

"So I got my ass kicked for nothing," Ryan said bitterly. "Terrific."

"Not at all," Gerard said. "Because you found their building, we were able to conduct our own investigation into its ownership. As it happens, it's owned by a holding company that was owned by another holding company... In short, when we followed the trail to its source - no small task, so I'm told - we found the ultimate owner was Xenon Technologies, a cutting-edge tech firm whose research, not surprisingly, includes biotechnology."

"Don't they make the new Phoenix aerial drones?" Ryan asked.

Gerard nodded. "Among many other things."

"We could still post the photos online like Ryan did with NuGen," Stacy suggested. "Let the public know what these asshats are doing."

"This is different, _mon ami._ NuGen did not support what was being done in their laboratories and they were willing to admit the wrongdoing in an effort to protect their reputation. Xenon apparently does not have such noble motives and they have shown that they are willing to cover this up. If you go forward with what you have, they will likely respond that the images are doctored and paint you as radical activists seeking to prolong their fame at the expense of their company. The similarity between some of the current photos and the ones you took at NuGen will be viewed with suspicion."

"Of course they're similar," Ryan shot back. "They're doing the same thing!"

Buster pushed back through the front door which Cutter had left open a crack, a sprig of star jasmine held in his mouth. He returned to the braixen, whose eyes lit up at the sight of the white, five-petaled flowers, and set them on the floor. She picked them up, inhaling their fragrance, then placed them behind her ear with a smile. Triumphant, Buster returned to where Ryan sat and lay on the floor, tail wagging.

"So what are you saying?" Stacy asked in an obvious tone of exasperation. "We just sit back and do nothing?"

Gerard shook his head. "Not at all, but it would be most foolish to move ahead blindly against such people. I will speak with the higher-ups in the League and see what can be done. When I know more, I will let you know."

# # #

Later that day, Stacy found Ryan sitting outside on the grass, idly throwing a tennis ball for Buster. "I want to talk to you about something," she said, sitting down next to Ryan.

"Yeah?"

"You've been kind of off ever since our tangle with those Xenon guys."

He gave her a sidelong look. "It's not like I've never lost a fight before, you know."

"I know, but I also know how much it sucks to get beat, especially when it seems like you've put in a lot of hard work that wound up being for nothing."

Ryan threw the tennis ball hard, sending it sailing down the hill upon which the clinic sat. Buster took off like a shot in pursuit. "They caught us by surprise, that's all. I'll be ready for them next time."

"That's just it. They way you fight... You always act like you and your pokemon are two separate teams. Look, there's no question that you're tough, but being strong isn't enough. I know a lot about pokemon battling, most of which were lessons learned the hard way, and I'm telling you that you can't keep doing things the way you're doing them and expect to win."

Ryan flicked at the grass in front of him. "So what is it that you're suggesting?"

"You need to start working _with_ your pokemon, not just alongside them. And it might not hurt to give them some proper training while you're at it. As it happens, I have something in mind that just might do the trick."

"And what might that be?"

"There's a League pro-am event coming up. I think that training for that would be perfect for honing your team skills and toughening up your pokemon."

Ryan frowned. "What's a pro-am event?"

"It's an exhibition tournament that pairs professional trainers like myself with amateurs in a team competition. It's an event that's designed to attract new blood to the League and introduce them to competitive battling by having experienced mentors show them the ropes."

"I don't know. I already told you that sport battling isn't really my thing."

"Ryan, these Xenon jerks aren't going to just go away. If you want to be ready for them, this is the best way to do it."

Buster returned with the tennis ball and set it at his feet. Over the past few weeks, Buster's fur had gotten thicker, his shoulders broader. It looked like he was finally starting to grow into his size and yet Ryan could still see in his eyes the expression of the eevee he once was. Buster was tough but at the same time Ryan knew that he wasn't really ready for the dangers he was being dragged into.

 _So much like I used to be,_ he thought.

"Alright," Ryan said finally. "I'm in."


	6. Cold Blows the Wind

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Cold Blows the Wind**

"Send him in," the man said over his shoulder to the speakerphone behind him. He idly combed his fingers through his short-cropped hair while staring out through the window of his office which provided a panoramic view of the city from its great height above it. He picked a tiny bit of lint from his dark, pinstriped suit before seating himself behind his broad mahogany desk.

Shortly thereafter the door opened, admitting a bespectacled, round-faced man who quickly crossed the room. He placed a black briefcase-sized carrying case on the desk and opened it, revealing a single poké ball cradled in black foam padding.

"Good morning, Carl," said the man behind the desk. "This is it, then?"

"Yes, Mister Vanderburg," the round-faced man replied, removing the poké ball from its case and holding it up in his hand. The item appeared very similar to other commonly available poké balls with the notable exception that its upper half was colored a transparent magenta through which its metallic surface could be seen. "This poké ball is unlike anything that has ever been made before. It has a multi-layer titanium alloy shell reinforced with a carbon nano-matrix underlay." He pointed to the two bulges on the top half of the poké ball. "The maglock system incorporates superconducting electromagnets for a strong and virtually instantaneous seal. The conversion system was custom built as well, with high-current conductors for rapid energy flow and a special multi-core CPU resulting in a total conversion time of less than twenty seven milliseconds."

"I assume you've tested it?" Mister Vanderburg asked.

"Yes, sir. The maglock system alone was enough to keep an enraged tyrantrum at full strength contained and the conversion system is so fast that even when we disabled the maglock, none of the pokemon we tested it on were able to react fast enough to break out. This thing will catch any pokemon you throw it at - the first time, every time. Guaranteed."

"Impressive. How many were you able to produce?"

"So far, just the prototype."

Mister Vanderburg folded his arms across his broad chest. "Just one?"

"Well, sir," Carl began, "room temperature superconductors are extremely expensive to produce and we had to use a lot of hard-to-find materials to meet the specifications you laid out. The prototype alone used up our entire development budget. Needless to say, mass production is out of the question."

"I see," Mister Vanderburg said, tapping his upper lip with a finger. "Still, if this item works as well as you claim, one should be all that's necessary."

"If you like, sir, I can have some of the videos from the test runs forwarded to you for your review. I think you'll be impressed."

"I don't think that will be necessary. I'm certain you wouldn't have brought it to me unless you'd put it through its paces."

Carl nodded, smiling. "We have, indeed, sir. And then some."

"Excellent. Pass my congratulations on to your team, then. You may go."

Mister Vanderburg waited until the man left his office before reaching for his phone, dialing it. He removed the poké ball from its case, holding it up before his eyes while the phone rang on the other end. "Miss Crane, the cage is ready. Prepare the fragment and let me know as soon as you have completed the necessary arrangements."

# # #

Arceus turned his head at the sound of the tiny pop of air which revealed to him who had arrived even before he saw her. "Hello, Mesprit. I was wondering when one of you would return."

 _Well, you know, I just thought it would be good to pop in. Literally._ Mesprit made a high-pitched giggling sound at her own joke. _As to the others, Uxie is still shadowing those humans and Azelf is helping Palkia with his end of things._

"Good," Arceus said, "because the Winds of Time have certainly not improved in the meantime."

 _Yeah, about that. I've been meaning to ask you about this whole 'Winds of time' thing. I know you've mentioned it in the past but I've never really thought much about it before. So what exactly are the Winds of Time and what do they have to do with us?_

"The Winds of Time are the aggregate forces that push everything forward from the present to the future, leaving the past in its wake. And they are Winds - plural - because time is not a single, monolithic thing. For one thing, it flows at different rates in different places. At the same time, it is also part of the continuum which is given form by space, and living things affect and shape it."

 _Shape it? You mean by their choices and actions?_

"Yes, but it's more complex than that. Living beings - humans in particular - leave an imprint in the time within which they exist. Humans have a word for it: _zeitgeist_ , which means 'the spirit of the age'. Proliferation of enlightenment, happiness and peace affects the Winds of Time, which leads to more of the same, as does tyranny, oppression and death. It is like a swimmer in a body of water. The swimmer is borne up by the water but also causes ripples and splashes in the water as he passes through it."

Mesprit pondered for a moment, her tails swishing slowly behind her. _So when you say that the Winds of Time are cold, you're speaking metaphorically, then?_

"Partially yes, but not exactly. It would be more accurate to say that I am speaking subjectively." Arceus saw the bewildered look on Mesprit's face and continued. "When you put your hand into an icy river, it feels cold. But the cold is not the reality of the water. The reality is that the particles that make up the water are moving slowly. The feeling of 'hot' or 'cold' is simply how you perceive the aggregate molecular motion of the water. In a similar way, I perceive the spirit of the age - the _zeitgeist_ of the Winds of Time."

 _So I take it then that we're trying to find the ones who are causing the Winds of Time to change for the worse and try to fix things before they get totally sad and nasty and stuff?_

"In a rather colorful way of putting it, yes."

 _So how do we fix this once we figure it out?_ Mesprit blinked then looked up at Arceus with troubled eyes, her tails twisting tightly together. _You're not going to tell us to start snuffing people, are you?_

"No, Mesprit. Such direct and drastic action would be inadvisable for many reasons. And we will not be solving this problem alone. There are those around whom the Winds of Time gather and flow more strongly - those who have the potential to make a great impact in their respective times. The one that Uxie is observing is one, I believe, as are several others who will doubtless play key roles in the events to come." Arceus turned to gaze out over the land below once again. "So many in one place and time I have never seen before. And, of course, the Winds always gather strongly around Dialga, him being who he is. Now, though, the winds about him have grown into an icy chill that I wonder if even he will be able to break free of, if he even has the desire to do so.

Mesprit frowned. _Why is that? He wasn't always like this. What happened?_

Arceus turned partially back toward Mesprit but did not meet her eyes. "Some time ago, he came to me for assistance in a matter he was having some difficulty with. I advised him in the manner I felt best, though he found my solution to be - unpalatable. Harsh words were exchanged and afterward, he retreated to his sanctum where, for the most part, he has since remained, removing himself from the affairs of this world."

 _That must've been one hell of an argument to send him off the map for over two hundred years! What were you arguing over?_

"Nothing of consequence. In truth, we have argued many times before, occasionally just as fervently. In retrospect, I admit that my handling of the situation, though apt, may have been less than ideal." Arceus paused then shook his head. "Ah, well. Be that as it may, done is done and no amount of wishing otherwise will make it so."

Mesprit kept her face neutral even though she wanted to goggle at his pathetic attempt at being coy. Whatever he and Dialga had it out over, Arceus clearly felt far guiltier about it than he was letting on. _'Done is done' my ass_ , she thought. She knew better than anyone that emotional matters were seldom so simple.

# # #

Mesprit looked around in wonder at the exotic landscape surrounding her - one that she had not seen in a very long time. A variety of flora both familiar and strange decorated the area in breathtakingly intricate patterns stretching out in huge swaths. She briefly wondered what shapes they would form if she flew higher. Above her, a midnight-blue sky twinkled with multicolored points of light across which danced sheets of luminous auroras. Ahead, a massive tower rose against the horizon, the only non-natural structure to be seen.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice boomed from behind.

Mesprit turned around to see Dialga glowering down at her. _Visiting, obviously,_ she said with a smile.

"And what makes you think I want visitors?"

 _Oh, please,_ Mesprit said, rolling her eyes. _If you really didn't want me here, I doubt I would've been able to get in_.

Dialga made a long rumbling noise then finally spoke. "What, then, is the purpose of your visit?"

 _To catch up. You've been out of circulation for a long time. Two hundred years, is it now?_

"Two hundred thirty two years," he began in a subdued voice, "four months and seventeen days."

 _So, why have you been gone so long?_

"You couldn't possibly understand."

 _Maybe not, but I'm a really good listener. Whatever it was that's made you want to leave the world behind for this long must've been important to you._ She floated up to his face and gazed into his eyes. _I can see your pain,_ she pressed. _It hangs on you, weighing you down from the inside and when you feel like no one understands it, it makes the weight heavier because you can't share it with anyone._

Dialga stared at her with blank eyes, then turned and began walking slowly away. Mesprit sighed. She didn't expect this to be an easy conversation, but she didn't think would end this quickly. She watched his retreating form for a short while then gathered herself to leave.

Dialga abruptly stopped. "Have you ever loved anyone, Mesprit?" he asked.

 _Have I ever loved anyone?_ she said with mild incredulity. _I'm the Being of Emotion, Dialga. It's kind of my thing._ As Dialga turned to face her, her eyes drifted off into the distance, a tiny smile blossoming on her face. _I remember this one guy I used to travel with. He was one of the first Pokemon Rangers, back before they got all organized and stuff. He traveled a lot and I kept him company on the road. Smart guy. Funny, too. He used to call me his second wife._ She gave Dialga a bashful look. _Not like that, of course. I mean, the size difference alone..._ She trailed off, seeing the bitter expression on his face with sudden realization. She floated up closer to his face and looked into his eyes. _What was your human's name?_ she asked softly.

"Savi. Her name was Savi."

 _What was she like? How did you meet her?_

"I do not wish to speak of it. Even thinking on it pains me."

 _It hurts because you_ don't _talk about it. Come on, tell me. It helps, trust me._

Dialga looked up at the multicolored points of light that dotted the sky of his domain and took a deep breath. A sharp pang, since dulled by the passage of time, now cut through his heart afresh as he allowed memories long kept from thought to be brought forward to his recollection. "I first met her two hundred thirty two years, six months and twelve days ago..."

# # #

 _Sequence 1, Iteration 1. Origin minus 55 days._

A warm breeze blew across the plain, raising a gentle susurrus as it brushed the tall grasses that grew there, carrying the scent of earth and a hint of the fragrance of the flowers on the rugged hills in the distance. Dialga stood basking in the warm sunshine, a welcome respite from the bitter cold he'd been forced to endure while his attention was focused in areas with colder climes. After letting the noonday heat thoroughly soak into his metallic body he made his way to the foothills which held one of his favorite spots to relax and look out over the landscape. There, he would await what he hoped would be one of the region's spectacular sunsets typical of the season.

As he reached the foothills, however, an unexpected sight in the distance drew his attention: A human. He held still, hoping that it would not notice him, knowing full well that between his size, his gleaming body and the lack of anything resembling cover, he would almost certainly be spotted. For a few breaths, his hope held. Then, he saw the human stop whatever it was doing and begin heading toward him.

Dialga closed his eyes and sighed.

For a moment, he considered simply leaving but the thought of fleeing this tiny creature rankled him even more than he dreaded the inevitable displays of awe and adulation it would shower upon him. Several years ago, he and his brother Palkia had been required to attend to a relatively minor matter in the area and were observed by the natives, who had since begun to worship them as gods.

The human was getting very close, now. Nothing for it but to endure its attention. He hoped it would allow itself to be sent away quickly.

The human - a female, he could now see - had the deep bronze skin typical of the people of this region, her long, dark hair shimmering in the late afternoon sun. She wore very brief garb made mostly of animal skin that covered little of her lithe body but seemed sufficient to satisfy human sensibilities of modesty, if only just. A bracelet made with pieces of carved bone clattered softly on her wrist as she walked up to him, her other hand holding a basket full of berries.

Dialga looked down at the diminutive creature before him who, rather than dropping to her knees or raising her hands and chanting plaintively, simply put a hand on her hip and looked him over appraisingly.

"A shuca berry for you?" she asked in her native tongue, holding up a small, round, yellow fruit from her basket and waggling it before him as one might do to a favored pet.

Dialga, stunned by the sheer audacity of this girl - not far into her womanhood by the look of her - could muster no coherent reply. Wishing to quickly end her ridiculous display of enticement, he leaned down to take the proffered fruit from her hand.

Even though he felt certain that he must have eaten one of these fruits before, in all of his many years he could not remember ever tasting anything quite like the exotically spicy sweetness that now filled his mouth. As he chewed, he paused as he realized her hand was now stroking his brow. Despite the fact that he hated the mindless adoration - or abject fear - of the humans he often encountered, he now found himself thoroughly taken aback by the brazenly casual attitude of this human. _The way she treats me!_ he thought. _Is this girl simple?_ Though even as he considered, he could see in the deliberateness of her carriage and the sharpness of her eyes that this was not the case.

"Another shuca, Metal Sky Beast?" she asked, bringing another fruit to his lips.

At first, he thought she was addressing him in mythic terms but quickly realized it was simply a rather apt description of his color and composition. He accepted the berry, even allowing himself to continue to be handled without complaint, for in truth, her touch was gentle and not unpleasant.

"This one is Savi," the girl said. "Does Metal Sky Beast speak?"

"This one is Dialga," he replied in what he hoped was a reasonable approximation of the particular dialect of her tongue.

"Dee-Halga," she repeated slowly. "I like this name. A strong name."

Dialga leaned down so she wouldn't have to look straight up to talk to him. "Why do you not fear me? Surely you can see that I am mighty and fearsome?"

"This one sees," Savi said. She turned toward the mountains and pointed. "Near the fire-mountain grows the most beautiful flowers. Though the fire-mountain is powerful, we know that fearing it will not quell it, should it become angry. Thus, we embrace it and what it offers: Our crops grow tall in its soil - including the shuca - and the hot waters near its base make for pleasant bathing." She turned to face Dialga. "Had you wished this one harm, there could surely be no escape, even though you were seen afar. This one approaches, then, to find either great beauty or a swift death. In neither is there reason for fearing."

Dialga blinked in surprise, immediately taken by the girl's courage and simple, yet profound wisdom - a rarity for one so young. He decided to stay and spent the rest of the day with her, learning more about her and her people while she continued to ply him with shuca berries. When the sun had finally sunk low in the sky, Savi told him she had to return to her village.

"This one hopes to find Dee-Halga again soon," she said, gathering her things.

"If Savi returns tomorrow at this time, this one will be found here," Dialga replied. As he watched her walking off into the distance, he was surprised yet again by how fervently he found himself hoping she would return as promised.

 _Sequence 1, Iteration 1. Origin minus 54 days._

The following afternoon, Savi did in fact return. She laughed lightly at Dialga's expression of disappointment when he saw her with a much smaller basket of shuca berries.

"Many apologies, Dee-Halga," she said as she fed him a berry. "My family needs them for food and trade. These I can spare, though, and any more I can find until the end of the season." With a smile, she added, "Try not to eat them too quickly."

Mollified by the tasty offering, he accepted her mild teasing in good humor and spent the rest of the afternoon conversing with this most peculiar and interesting human. As dusk began to fall, he briefly considered walking back with her to her village but knew that such a thing would only prove to disrupt the lives of her people.

For once, he felt that the next day couldn't come soon enough.

Unfailingly, Savi returned daily to find Dialga waiting for her. The supply of berries wouldn't last long but Dialga didn't mind all that much. They spent the afternoons speaking to one another of more personal parts of their lives. Savi spoke of her family and friends, of the young man whose eye she hoped to catch and of the life she wanted for herself and the many children she hoped to bear. Dialga spoke of his own doings as well, sharing tales of far-away places and events from times long ago, forgotten by all but him. He even found that his explanations of the complexities of the flow of time and how he could manipulate it were not beyond Savi's attentive ear and quick mind.

There were also times when conversation was not the order of the day. Sometimes when Savi was exhausted from a day of hard work in her village, Dialga would let her lay against his side, curling his neck protectively around her while she rested. Other times, when Dialga was of a mood, all he needed to do was stretch out on the ground in front of her and she would obligingly stroke his neck and sing him some of the songs of her people which were quickly becoming his favorite.

 _Sequence 1, Iteration 1. Origin._

Today was a special day for Savi, though she didn't yet know it. Over the past weeks, she had expressed a desire to see some of the far-flung places in the world that Dialga had spoken of. Today, Dialga was going to take her to see them. She could take as much time as she wanted and he would still be able to get her home by dinner.

Stepping through the portal from his home, Dialga was surprised to find the air thick with falling snow - an unheard of thing in this warm southern geography. He quickly realized that the gray flakes falling around him weren't snow but ash which blanketed the ground and darkened the sky.

A thunderous booming sound drew his attention to the mountains before him. He looked up to see a bright orange plume spewing from the highest peak and rolling down the mountainside in a river of fire. The grasslands burned where volcanic fire had touched them, further choking the ash-filled air with billows of thick, black smoke. Chunks of burning magma arced through the sky trailing streamers of smoke, falling around him in a fiery hail.

He rushed toward where he knew Savi's village to be, navigating a meandering path through the hellish landscape. As he rounded the hills, he was barely able to make out the village in the distance through the smoky air. Above the village, a surge of lava rolled down the mountain at an incredible speed. Dialga could only watch as the fiery deluge swept over the village, erasing it from existence in but a few heartbeats.

Dialga stood, stunned, amid the devastation, the booming sound of the eruption echoing across the mountains punctuated by the tinkling of falling shards of volcanic glass. He shook his head, his features drawing into a serious expression as he collected himself. With deliberate care, he concentrated, the jewel in his chest flaring brightly as he set a temporal anchor to use as a point of origin from which he could easily traverse, alter or undo any timelines resulting from the incursions he was about to make. Despite the fact that the situation would be easily remedied, he was surprised by how deeply it had shaken him.

 _Sequence 2, Iteration 1. Origin minus 1 day._

"But why must we go, Dee-Halga?" Savi protested. "I promised my mother I would help her prepare for the festival. I can't just..."

"There will be no festival, Savi!" Dialga interrupted. "Tomorrow, everyone will be..." Dialga paused, his head lowering. "The fire-mountain will destroy everything," he finished softly.

"The fire-mountain? But how do you..." Savi began, looking up at him in shock. A moment later, understanding spread across her face. "Dee-Halga has seen this," she said as a statement, not a question.

Dialga simply nodded.

"Then we must save my village," Savi said.

"I don't think that would be possible," Dialga said. "Relocating so many people would be a great undertaking. Furthermore, changing time is not a thing done lightly. The results of changes I make become more difficult to predict the more I change and the farther back I go."

"But what of my family?" Savi pleaded. "Certainly Dee-Halga can save one family?"

He was about to try to dissuade her, but upon seeing her distraught expression he didn't have the heart to refuse her. "Very well. But you must bring them here at once."

Savi left and returned quickly with her family in tow who, much to Dialga's dismay, immediately fell into displays of awe. After settling everyone, Dialga opened a portal and led them through.

The first tribe Dialga settled Savi's family with, while amenable to letting them join, offered few opportunities for integration. Savi's parents, whose professions were the care of alpacas and the use of their fleece, had particular trouble adjusting to life in a tribe that did not domesticate these animals. A virulent sickness that swept through the village not long after their arrival convinced Dialga that this was not the place for them.

 _Sequence 2, Iteration 2._

The second tribe Dialga took Savi's family to, supposedly friendly, had undergone a recent change in leadership with the death of its chief and had become hostile to outsiders.

 _Sequence 2, Iteration 3._

The next tribe proved quite friendly and welcoming to Savi's family, though it was a bit nearer to the volcano than Dialga had wanted. After the eruption, Dialga found Savi hiding far from their new home. She tearfully recounted how, after the eruption occurred, the new tribe took it as a sign that the village had offended their gods by accepting the newcomers. In an attempt to appease the gods, the village offered her family up as sacrifices, with Savi herself barely able to escape.

 _Sequence 2, Iteration 4._

The next tribe was far enough away from the volcano that it was unlikely to be a factor. Unfortunately, the chief of the tribe demanded Savi's young sister to be one of his wives as the price for them being allowed to stay. Even Dialga could see that the girl was far too young for such a thing and even had the family consented, he would not leave Savi in such a place.

 _Sequence 3, Iteration 1. Origin minus 1 day._

"But why will you not save them?" Savi asked tearfully.

"I already tried, Savi," Dialga explained to her. "There are still a few places left where I think you could go, but only a few."

"But Dee-Halga is powerful. Many people think him a god. Dee-Halga told this one so himself. Surely, such a mighty one could make them take my family."

Dialga leaned in close. "Savi, I haven't told you much about my family, but I do have a father. He doesn't involve himself much in my life nor has he laid many rules upon me. One of them, however, is that we are not to present ourselves as gods to humans." Savi began to protest but Dialga quickly cut her off. "I do not often agree with my father, but in this, I believe he is correct."

The next tribe Dialga took Savi to accepted her reluctantly, partly due to her dialect being so different as to practically be another language entirely. Though Dialga knew that the tribes in this area were less friendly and progressive than the ones he visited before - that is why he avoided them in previous iterations - he was unaware of how rigid the social structure in this tribe was until Savi returned with her face badly bruised. Women in this tribe were apparently little more than chattel and Savi's spirited nature had earned swift and severe punishment.

As the days passed, Savi's visits grew more infrequent and Dialga saw the spark that made her what he had grown so fond of gradually begin to die away.

This would not do.

 _Sequence 3, Iterations 2-6._

Each of the remaining tribes in the area proved to be little better, some even worse. When Savi told Dialga of the brutal blood rituals and extensive self-scarification that was practiced by the last tribe even upon their children, he realized that her future was not to be found here among her own people.

 _Sequence 4, Iteration 1. Origin minus 1 day._

Far across the ocean, other civilizations flourished whose populations now began to settle in sprawling towns and cities from which the fires of industry began to rise. It was to one of these cities that Dialga brought Savi, hoping that despite the alien culture, she would be able to fit in among the multitudes.

Unfortunately, Dialga underestimated the impact of his arrival near an urban center which caused a great upheaval among the people living there. The explosion of humans across the land was only the latest in many changes Dialga had seen the world undergoing lately - so many in such a short time.

 _Sequence 4, Iteration 2._

Dialga found his presence among the many remaining rural areas of this more modern culture to be far less invasive and was soon able to find a family willing to take Savi in. While things looked promising at first, Savi found herself relegated to a role of servitude within the family, treated little better than the animals she tended. With her new family unwilling to educate her in the local language or customs, her prospects for improving her lot were virtually nonexistent.

 _Sequence 4, Iteration 9._

After several more attempts, Dialga found success at last. A couple who had been unable to have children of their own took Savi in and taught her in the ways of their society. They treated her as if she were their own daughter, sharing in all the fruits of their farm which prospered under her hand.

As the months passed, she even found love and soon after, she came to Dialga and joyfully announced that she was with child. Unable to contain her excitement, she pleaded with him until he agreed to go forward in time to see if her child would be a boy or a girl.

When he arrived in the future, Savi was not to be found. After investigating, he discovered that she had died in childbirth.

 _Sequence 4, Iteration 14._

Unable to persuade Savi to forgo having a child, Dialga did his best to arrange what help he could for Savi. The medicine of this time, while able to save her life, was unable to save her child and left her unable to bear any more. Unable to provide him a family, Savi's husband eventually left her. Savi was left barren, alone and heartbroken.

 _Sequence 4, Iteration 39._

After many more failed attempts to find a proper home for Savi, he decided that the only one who could keep her safe and well was himself. At first they were happy together, Dialga able to comfort her through the initial loss of her family and tribe.

Over time, he knew she would need to see more of her own world and be among humans, so he took her on travels around the world, seeing many new sights. With each excursion, however, Dialga saw Savi becoming more restless and unhappy. She confided in him that she greatly desired lasting relationships with others and family of her own. Having had several close calls with diseases and violence, Dialga had little desire to leave Savi among a foreign people. Still, he came to realize that simply keeping Savi in a place of isolated safety was not enough. She needed more than mere survival in order to live.

After much consideration, Dialga decided that Savi's best hope for happiness lay among her own people, after all. He knew that saving an entire tribe would require the kind of changes he had hoped to avoid but he knew that such a thing was by no means beyond him and, in truth, it had been quite a while since his abilities had been truly tested.

He intended to rise to this challenge.

 _Sequence 21, Iteration 1. Origin minus 4 months._

Savi's tribe greeted his arrival with the expected shows of awe but even so, it took a bit of effort to convince the tribe to agree to uproot themselves and move to a new location. The part that weighed most on him was the way his intrusion altered his introduction to Savi. Even though she understood he was there to help, the fact that their first meeting was him taking her from her home altered her perceptions of him for the worse.

The evening of the second day after the tribe had departed their village, the people were camped out upon the plain under a new moon, the stars the only light peeking through the blanket of night. Small campfires dotted the encampment, pushing back the surrounding darkness in small islands of light. Outside the camp, Dialga was pondering the leg of the journey still ahead when a scream cut through the air, soon joined by others.

He rushed to the camp to find the people in disarray as fleet-footed shapes darted in from the surrounding darkness, attacking villagers at the camp's periphery before darting away again. Dialga charged toward the nearest attackers - a pair of large, dark purple feline pokemon - and breathed a blast of dragonfire on them both, incinerating one and sending the second running. The man who had been fighting the pokemon - liepard, by the looks of the dead one in front of him - was badly slashed but his wounds didn't appear to be life-threatening.

As Dialga charged, roaring, through the camp, the remaining liepard quickly dispersed, melting back into the night-shrouded grassland. He then rushed off in search of Savi, his heart pounding a rapid cadence to match his churning feet.

A trail of blood from her encampment led to a stand of trees where a knot of liepard sat with their faces buried in a bloody pile of flesh. After chasing them away, Dialga stared down at the corpse whose flesh had been stripped to the point of unrecognizability. On its wrist, however, was an all-too-familiar bracelet made of pieces of carved bone.

 _Sequence 21, Iteration 6._

After several more attempts, Dialga managed to get the tribe - whole and unharmed - to the place he had selected for them. Though they appeared to fare reasonably well at first, the crops they were accustomed to planting did not grow well in the new area. Weakened by famine, they proved easy targets when a neighboring tribe came raiding. Fiercely defending her family, Savi was slain in the fighting.

 _Sequence 21, Iteration 9._

This time, when the tribe arrived, Dialga made sure they had everything they needed to not only survive, but thrive beyond any of their neighbors. He brought them seeds to plant that weren't reliant on the volcanic soil of their previous home and enough food to last them until their first harvest. He brought in herds of miltank, bouffalant and cottonee for sustenance and clothing. Flocks of sigilyph now soared overhead as well, guarding them against outside threats.

Dialga's preparations proved exceedingly effective as Savi's people quickly grew prosperous, rapidly expanding and folding the surrounding tribes and their resources into their own in the beginnings of a mighty nation.

Their wealth and success would quickly come to the attention of others, however. In the following days as Dialga proudly watched Savi's belly grow large with her second child, people from a distant land arrived in great ships, wearing metal helmets and breastplates and quickly conquered Savi's people with mighty weapons that spewed smoke and dealt death from afar.

Dialga, initially enraged by the interlopers who had undone his best-laid plans, briefly considered defending Savi's people directly but quickly discarded the notion. Aside from the fact that Arceus discouraged open conflict with humans, he knew that starting a war with these advanced newcomers would set ripples in motion that would likely prove even more problematic. More to the point, such a thing was beneath him. He was the guardian of time, after all - a master of subtlety and sublime forces - and as such, he regarded open warfare as little more than common brawling on a larger scale.

And then he came to the realization that he was approaching this the wrong way. He wasn't the only one who had power, after all.

 _Sequence 22, Iteration 1. Origin minus 7 days._

Dialga eyed the large pokemon pacing in front of him, the light from the magma pool beyond adding an orange glow to its crimson-plated hide.

"This volcano sits in a remote place with few people living near it. Why do you want my help with this so badly?" the red pokemon asked in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Because I have deemed it important, Groudon," Dialga replied in a measured voice. "Isn't that enough?"

"We have our needs, this is true," Groudon said, "but the earth has its own needs as well. These things need to happen from time to time."

"Make it happen somewhere else," Dialga said, irritation creeping into his voice.

"It's not that simple. If you think changes need to be made, then use your own considerable powers. I cannot help you."

 _Sequence 22, Iteration 4._

"It will be disastrous if the volcano erupts," Dialga said.

"It will be far more disastrous if it doesn't," Groudon replied.

 _Sequence 22, Iteration 10._

"I don't need you to stop the eruption, just alter it," Dialga said.

"Volcanoes are not lightly tampered with, Dialga. I will not do such a thing unless the need is great. And it is not."

 _Sequence 22, Iteration 18._

"Someone important to me will die if you don't intervene."

"Then take this person away from that place." Groudon began to wade back into his magma pool. "Why must you bother me for such a simple matter? Deal with it yourself."

 _Sequence 22, Iteration 19. Origin minus 6 minutes._

Groudon and Dialga stood before the volcano as it spewed ash into the sky. Groudon looked up at it and shook his head. "This is a very bad idea, Dialga. This area is tectonically unstable. I can feel it."

Dialga glared at the great, red pokemon. "I don't need your opinions, Groudon. I just need you to divert some lava. Now, are you going to do it or should I put you back in that time loop for a while longer?"

Groudon's face briefly took on a haunted expression then he quickly looked away toward the oncoming flow of lava and ash speeding down the mountain. "A pyroclastic flow," he said ruefully. "This will require a much greater effort to divert."

Groudon closed his eyes and the black stripes that marked the borders of the segments of his thick red hide began to glow blue. The luminance built in intensity until finally, Groudon opened his eyes and roared, the blue light flaring brightly as he stomped his foot upon the ground.

The earth shook anew as a split formed in the ground at Groudon's foot, shooting forward and widening as it went. Dialga had to quickly step back as the fissure continued to spread and deepen, cutting across the path of the oncoming lava. He watched the churning slide of molten rock rush down the mountainside, only to be swallowed the growing chasm.

As the lava flow filled the cleft in the earth and threatened to spill over, Groudon gestured toward the fissure and spread his arms wide. In response, the fissure began to widen further, hungrily swallowing the lava that the volcano spewed forth.

The earth shuddered again, then suddenly, thrust up violently, toppling Dialga off his feet. He looked around and saw that the ground on his side of the fissure was now several feet higher than on the other side. The fissure, now over a hundred feet wide, continued to grow at an accelerating rate while the earth continued to buck and roil underneath him.

Just as Dialga was getting his feet underneath him once again, a deafening explosion shattered the air, the concussive force of which blasted him sideways and sent him tumbling. Reflexively, Dialga summoned what strength he could muster and brought time to a standstill.

Dialga lay panting as the world stood frozen around him, the unnatural silence broken only by the ringing of his ears. He looked up from the ground at the surreal scene of destruction that made him stare in shock: A second massive plume of lava had exploded outward from the side of the volcano in a shower of fire and rock that dwarfed the original eruption. The earth around him lay cracked and broken, the fissure made by Groudon now extending in either direction as far as he could see in the ash-choked air.

Dialga slowly stood on wobbly legs, still staggered from the volcano's explosion. He looked up again at the colossal fan of magma spraying from the side of the volcano frozen in midair high above him. Judging from its arc, it would rain fiery death upon everything in its path for miles.

Including Savi's village.

 _Sequence 37, Iteration 1. Origin minus 115 years._

The tribe needed to be well away from the volcano, but attempting to relocate them had failed. Instead, he decided that, instead of artificially transplanting them, he would go far enough back to affect their initial placement and allow them to settle in naturally.

After doing so and returning to the present, he found that Savi had never been born.

He wasn't all that surprised, given the extent of the change. It just needed a few tweaks.

 _Sequence 37, Iteration 8. Origin minus 17 years._

Encouraged at finally seeing Savi's mother reappear in the timestream, he watched with eager anticipation when she became pregnant. Savi's mother was impoverished in this timeline, however, and often did not eat well. As a result, Savi was born weak and died soon after.

 _Sequence 37, Iteration 17. Origin minus 17 years._

Taking a more direct hand in matters, Dialga made sure Savi's mother was well-fed before, during and after her pregnancy. Dialga was overjoyed when Savi was born healthy and strong. Hopping forward in time, he continued to care for her at frequent intervals in her early life.

As she grew older under his care, he saw that she was becoming arrogant and cruel. Despite his best efforts to impart wisdom, her strong spirit became twisted into a sense of entitlement. At the age of 17, touting her patronage by "the god of ages" she ascended to rule her village by "divine right." Her people suffered under her tyrannical reign and at the age of 18, she was assassinated by her own brother.

 _Sequence 51, Iteration 122. Origin minus 55 days._

At long last, Dialga had combined elements of past successes in perfect combination. He ensured that Savi's lineage was perfectly duplicated despite the many changes he had made. Savi was virtually the same person he originally knew, even greeting him at their new "first" meeting the same as in the original timeline.

It was truly a triumph - a masterpiece of temporal artistry that was unmatched by any effort Dialga had previously attempted. In the days that followed, Dialga began to forget the horrors of his past failures under Savi's gentle hand and warm smile.

He was considering removing the temporal anchor and letting this timeline become permanent when he received an unexpected visitor.

Himself.

He could immediately feel that this version of himself came from the future. He knew what this meant. Only the direst of circumstances would cause him to actually visit a past version of himself rather than simply change the timestream.

"Follow me," his other self said.

Dialga knew better than to argue. Synchronizing with his twin, they traveled forward together in time.

 _Sequence 51, Iteration 122. Origin plus 242 years._

They arrived on a hill overlooking a sprawling, modern metropolis that extended as far as the eye could see. Dialga recognized the mountains nearby as the same ones where Savi's village was located.

Dialga concentrated for a moment then gasped in surprise. He determined that they had traveled 242 years into the future, a thing virtually unheard-of as the quickly branching timestream should have diverged into a formless chaos of unrealized possibility long before then. The fact that it hadn't meant that this timeline was a virtual certainty.

"Watch," Dialga's future twin said, nodding toward the city.

In the distance, a line of smoke rose into the air, quickly joined by several others. Dialga watched the smoke lines change direction, arcing in tandem with each other toward the horizon.

"What were those?" Dialga asked his twin, "and why did you bring me here?"

"Wait," his twin replied, his face a stony mask.

Almost half an hour passed and Dialga was about to press his twin for answers when another strange line of smoke came over the horizon toward the city. It reminded him somewhat of the fiery rocks that shot from the volcano when it had erupted but this one moved much faster. He followed its track with dismay as it streaked ever closer.

Light.

A blinding flash as if the sun itself had appeared within the city.

A sharp jolt beneath Dialga's feet, slowing into a rumble.

Silence.

Dialga slowly opened his eyes, still dazzled with the afterimage of the initial flash, and saw that his twin had frozen time. He stared at the enormous mushroom-shaped cloud hanging over the city and the ring of devastation that extended for miles beyond it.

"This is as much as I can safely show you," Dialga's twin said. "Within hours, these explosions will scour all life from the planet." He turned to face Dialga, fixing him with an iron gaze. "All life. Everything. Gone."

"We... we did this?" Dialga asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

# # #

High upon his mountain, Arceus watched a portal open and saw Dialga emerge from it. He greeted his son but instead of responding, Dialga simply stared at him, ashen-faced, swaying on his feet.

"What is wrong, Dialga," Arceus asked, his face drawing with concern.

Without preamble, Savi's story came spilling from Dialga's mouth, at first in a semi-chaotic jumble, finally resolving into clarity by the end. "What do I do?" Dialga asked at last, his voice trembling and hoarse.

Arceus considered for a long while before speaking. "The only thing you can do," he finally replied. "Let her go."

"But father... You are wise and powerful. Surely there is something..."

"She is mortal, Dialga," he said mildly. "Before long, she will pass from this world anyway. Do not cause yourself further pain on account of such a fleeting thing. After all, there will be others."

Dialga's face twisted from despair into rage. His anger flowed in a torrent of harsh words, answered by stern rebukes from his father. The rancorous exchange escalated until, with a final, hardened look, Dialga departed from his father's presence.

 _Sequence 1, Iteration 2. Origin._

Standing at the foot of the mountains, Dialga stared numbly out across the plain even as ash and fire rained down all around him. He barely felt the sting of the shards of volcanic glass that fell upon him as the jewel in his chest began to glow. He reached out to the temporal anchor that, to the world, he had placed there only moments ago but to him, as though many lifetimes had passed. As he withdrew it, he felt the finality of his decision to abandon the one person he cared most about in the entire world settle upon him like an iron yoke. When finally it had been drawn forth from its other-dimensional space, removing all traces of his changes to the timestream, he felt it begin to evaporate in his metaphysical grasp, and with it, all hope for Savi.

# # #

 _The present._

"As I stood there, I could hear screams through the ash. Despite all I had tried, I still wanted to do something. I mean, they were right there in front of me. I could practically reach out and touch them. How could you not want to do something when people are burning alive in front of you? But I knew that if I did reach out, it wouldn't do any good. I knew this because I tried to save them and all I could do was watch the Winds of Time turn them to sand in my grasp."

 _Maybe there's something we can still do?_ Mesprit said. _Surely there was somewhere Savi could've found happiness in her own time? And even if there wasn't, the world is very different, now. I'm sure we could find a place for her here in this time._

Dialga shook his head. "Going back now is out of the question. Were I to make even the slightest of changes to the past that far back, the effects on the present could be catastrophic. And as to my past efforts, I have no doubt that even back then, someone, somewhere would've given Savi a home. But how many times would I have had to watch her suffer or even die before I found them? Ten times? A hundred? A thousand? I couldn't do it, Mesprit. I couldn't bear to see it happen even one more time." Dialga closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before continuing. "I can command time itself, move it and even make it stop at my whim, yet for all my power I couldn't save one human girl. I thought myself time's master, Mesprit, but I was wrong. You see, time has no master," Dialga paused, looking away. "And it needs no guardian."

At last, Mesprit understood what could drive one such as Dialga, a being possessed of immense power and, once, an indomitable will, from the world for so long, for now she could feel the depth of Dialga's loss - an almost unimaginable pain compounded by a crushing defeat so complete that it had left him bereft of purpose. She could only imagine what it would be like watching someone you loved being taken from you over and over, feeling the terrible pang of loss endlessly renewed. It would be more than anyone could bear.

She floated up and perched lightly on his back, leaning into his sinuous neck. Too long had he borne this terrible burden alone. For now, the only thing she could do was to stay with him and try to ease his unspeakable pain with her presence.

In the cruelest of ironies, she realized that the very thing that wounded him was what he needed most to heal:

Time.


	7. Training Day

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Training Day**

On a hill overlooking the outskirts of a nearby city, Palkia stood looking down at a complex of buildings surrounded by tall chain-link fencing.

"There it is," Palkia said, pointing to the large, cinder block building in the center of the complex. Few windows adorned its walls but its roof hosted a variety of antennas and satellite dishes.

 _Are you sure_? asked the tiny blue-headed pokemon floating beside him.

"It's a piece of my own body, Azelf. Yes, I'm sure. I don't know where or how they got a piece of one of my jewels but they won't have it for long."

 _What are you going to do?_

"I'm going to take it back," Palkia said.

 _Are you sure that's such a good idea? Don't get me wrong. I'm all for decisive action but humans have a lot of interesting toys these days and some of them can be pretty dangerous._

Palkia turned a serious eye to Azelf. "That jewel fragment is incredibly powerful. It's too dangerous to leave in anyone else's hands."

Azelf thought for a moment, then nodded and watched Palkia disappear in a twisting of space.

Palkia reappeared inside the large building whose spacious interior held a multitude of small to medium metallic devices with blinking displays arranged in rows. Even the walls were lined with scaffolding and cables connected to who-knew-what. These various bits of technology were attended by a scattering of humans whose activities immediately ceased upon his unexpected arrival in their midst. Palkia was not interested in any of those things however, for at the far end of the cavernous room sat a large metal and glass cylinder surrounded by even more machinery inside which sat a tiny pink fragment that Palkia could feel resonating with his very being. A single, red-haired woman, apparently the only person unaware of his arrival, methodically operated the machinery connected to it. He made his way toward the end of the room, the majority of the humans scurrying away as he approached.

"Return the jewel fragment to me," Palkia intoned.

The woman turned her head and gave Palkia a casual look, seemingly unruffled by his presence. "But why?" she asked. "It's utterly fascinating, you know. We've learned so much from it."

"You have no idea what it is you're playing with," Palkia's sharp eyes focused on the laminated card clipped to her shirt bearing her photo, "Serena Crane."

"I have every idea what it is," she said. She raised her hand and suddenly, dozens of black-clad men in body armor emerged from doors in the sides of the room, armed with a combination of firearms and Prometheus gauntlets, and began to surround Palkia. "And I'm not playing."

Palkia quickly surveyed the firepower arrayed against him and decided that the odds were not in his favor. "This isn't over," he said and began to draw space around himself...

...but it refused to budge as he pulled on it. He looked around and could sense that the gridwork in the walls - connected by cabling to the cylinder holding the jewel fragment - was anchoring space in the room, preventing it from being manipulated.

"Oh, but it is," the red-haired woman said and nodded to someone behind Palkia.

Palkia saw one of the masked humans - a female - step forward and throw a poké ball.

In less than heartbeat, a brilliant flash engulfed him and he felt a tremendous force dragging him violently inside, like a whirlpool pulling a leaf into its hungry maw.

# # #

Ryan stood in his room, recently awakened, the wooden floor cold against his bare feet. He went to his dresser and grabbed two boxes of poké chow, shaking their contents into two separate bowls on the floor, the sound of which brought Buster and Spike running, barely waiting for Ryan to stop pouring before digging in. He went to his window and saw that Stacy and her blaziken, Max, were outside on the grass. A moment later, he heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" he called.

 _It's Gia_ , came a psychic voice from outside. _May I come in?_

"Yeah, sure," Ryan said, looking out at the through the window. He heard the door open, then close behind him. Even upon the wooden floor, Gia's footsteps were almost silent as she entered.

 _I'm a little surprised you could hear me through the door. Most people can't unless I have a clear line of sight._

"Cutter must be rubbing off on me. I have to say, though," he said, giving Gia a sidelong look, "I'm not sure how I feel about having mind-readers running around in my head."

 _What do you mean?_ Gia asked.

"You're psychic. You read minds don't you? That's how you're able to communicate, right?"

 _In the most general sense, yes, that's how we communicate. However, you're mistaken in your belief that we dig through peoples' minds, mainly because we can't._

"What do you mean you can't? You just said you communicate by mind-reading."

 _Only surface thoughts. Anything beyond that is hidden._

"I don't know about that," Ryan said, giving Gia a skeptical eye. "When I first met Cutter at NuGen, they were using him as a living lie-detector. I'm pretty sure he wasn't faking, either. How could he do that without really reading my mind?"

 _Likely through sensing your emotional state, which is also part of your surface thoughts. For example, most people get nervous to some extent when they lie._

"By the end of that interrogation session, things got pretty intense. I swear, I could feel his eyes boring into me. I mean, literally feel it. I have a hard time believing a psychic pokemon couldn't get into someone's head if they really wanted to."

 _Well, technically, such a thing is possible._

"Hold on, you just said you can't."

 _Not without your knowledge. The fact that you felt Cutter's attention proves the point, and trust me, you would know if he had been trying to do more than listen really hard. Such a mental intrusion would be, in comparison, like someone trying to put their hand in your mouth. The presence of something so foreign where it clearly didn't belong would be unmistakable and even if someone were to try it, they would have a difficult time succeeding if you didn't allow it. To force one's way into someone's mind would feel to that person like an act of violence, not unlike a physical assault._ Gia paused, then continued in a softer tone _, Be at ease, Ryan. Neither I nor Cutter would harm you in such a way._

Ryan turned his attention back to the window. "Right. Thanks."

 _Speaking of harm, may I ask how you got all those scars on your back?_ Gia asked.

"Old injury," Ryan replied curtly. He grabbed a t-shirt lying on the dresser nearby and slipped it on. "So, what was it that you originally came up to see me about, anyway?"

 _Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. Stacy wanted me to tell you that she's here and that the training can begin as soon as you're ready._

Through the window, he watched Stacy and Max playfully wrestling and rolling around on the grass below. "Those two sure are awfully..." he paused, watching Stacy wriggling helplessly and laughing as Max held her pinned down, nipping her ears with his beak, "...chummy."

 _They've been together for many years, Ryan. Max was Stacy's first pokemon, after all_ , Gia said.

"Seems kind of odd," Ryan said.

 _Stacy takes very good care of all of her pokemon, but those two share a special bond. In some ways, Max takes care of Stacy as much as she takes care of him. But you know_ , Gia said, sidling up next to Ryan, _as close as she is with Max, I happen to know that she very much enjoys human companionship, as well._

"I'm sure she does," he said, turning and walking out of the room.

Gia crossed her arms and huffed in irritation. _So much for subtlety,_ she thought.

# # #

After eating breakfast, Ryan performed a quick cleanup of some of the pokemon enclosures at the behest of Taylor Grant, the new intern who was now a part of the workday scenery at the clinic. Having had a chance to observe the newcomer for several weeks, Ryan found that he shared Doctor Lynd's assessment of the young man: He was a capable veterinarian with an affable manner toward people and pokemon alike, but had something of an aversion to the kind of menial work Ryan performed.

After quickly finishing his morning duties, Ryan rounded up Cutter and Buster, then went outside to meet up with Stacy. Both Stacy and Max had since composed themselves from their earlier activities and now reclined against a tree. Seeing Stacy closer now, he saw that she had re-frosted the tips of her hair a vibrant purple and wore a long-sleeved shirt against the cooler autumn air. In addition, Stacy now held her baby brother in her arms, wrapped up warmly in a blanket

"I'm ready," Ryan said, stopping in front the group. He looked down at the infant. "I'm a little surprised you brought Alexander along for this, though."

"My mom insisted," Stacy said, gently bouncing the infant. "She says I don't spend enough time with my brother, which is true, given what we've been doing lately."

"Not to be rude, but why doesn't she look after him herself? He's _her_ kid, after all."

"Believe me, she does. You just don't see how much time she spends on him because you only see her at work. Also, my parents are really into the whole family bonding thing."

"Oh," Ryan said. "Why?"

"Why?" Stacy repeated. "Well, it's not exactly a bad thing for family members to spend time with each other." She glanced up at him and noted the completely neutral expression on his face. "I take it that maybe your parents didn't have the same opinion?" she asked gently.

"I don't have any parents," he replied.

"Oh. Did they..."

"Dead," he said flatly.

Ryan watched her look away and attempt a few words, each hastily abandoned before being spoken. "So," he said, leaning in to catch her eye and mercifully interrupt her obvious discomfiture, "you were going to help me train my pokemon?"

"Right," Stacy said, standing. "In fact, I've brought in some special guest trainers to get us started. Be right back."

Ryan watched her jog back into the clinic, briefly wondering what kind of training she had in store for them. Knowing how seriously she took sport battling, he imagined her spending countless hours at home, hunched over charts and tables, arranging grueling schedules and intense workouts, painstakingly designed to produce optimum development for each pokemon in the time remaining before the pro-am.

While he waited, Spike, the pichu that Ryan was looking after for Doctor Lynd, had emerged from the clinic and joined them, amusing himself by batting at Max's toes. The large blaziken, to his credit, took the attentions of the pichu in stride.

After a short while, Stacy returned, her two younger sisters in tow.

"They're the special trainers?" Ryan asked.

"Not exactly," Stacy said, and nodded to Jennifer and Christina. Each of them produced a poké ball and, in a flash of light, two pokemon appeared - Christina's pachirisu and Jennifer's new buneary. "Twitch and Mocha are," Stacy finished.

"Mocha?" Ryan asked, hearing the buneary's name for the first time.

"Be nice," Stacy whispered. "Jennifer really likes the name."

"Your pichu is cute," Jennifer said, kneeling down next to Spike. "Can I pick him up?"

"Yeah, but be careful," Ryan said. "He gets a little zappy when he gets excited." He shifted his attention back to Stacy. "So, how are those two puffballs going to train my pokemon?"

"Speed training," Stacy said with a smile. "Speed is one of the most essential aspects of battling, perhaps _the_ most essential aspect. You can be the strongest there is, but if you're not fast enough, your strength will never reach your opponent. Speed is crucial to mounting both an effective offense and defense. Therefore, this morning's training will be simple: Catch your training partner and bring them back to me. Cutter, you get Mocha. Buster gets Twitch. While they're working on that, you and I will be going over some basics with Trace."

"Seems pretty easy," Ryan said, watching Twitch casually lick one her paws. "Are you sure we'll have time for training Trace before they're done?"

"I'm sure we'll at least be able to get started," Stacy said with a grin. She turned to Cutter and Buster. "You guys ready? Then, go!"

With that, Twitch and Mocha took off like a shot, heading in opposite directions so quickly, the gallade and metalleon were left momentarily dumbfounded. They quickly gave chase but in the brief delay, their respective quarries had already gained a substantial lead. A series of rapid jinks and dodges by Twitch and Mocha kept their pursuers stumbling and grasping at air whenever they got too close, only to dart away again. Stacy chuckled and half-smiled at Ryan who was still staring in surprise at the display of speed by her younger sisters' pokemon. "Yeah, I think we'll have time," she said. "Follow me and we'll get started with Trace."

Stacy led Ryan a short distance away to where a large rock sat in a dirt clearing. "I know you've never used Trace in combat, but do you know if he has any battle experience at all?"

"Cutter says he does. He told me that the scientists and techs at NuGen used to have friendly pokemon matches between their departments from time to time when things got slow. Apparently, Trace used to be pretty popular until they had an incident."

"An incident? What happened?" Stacy asked.

"Trace was battling a pikachu belonging to a guy from the pharmaceutical department and during the fight, the pikachu zapped Trace with a Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, Trace and the pikachu were pretty close to one of the onlookers and Trace's smooth, faceted body reflected the flashes of light from the electrical attack in just the wrong way and it sent the guy into a seizure. What are the odds, right? Anyway, after that, nobody would let Trace battle again because they said he wasn't safe. Everyone blamed Trace for giving that guy a seizure, even though it was really the pikachu's Thunderbolt that did it."

"Well, I think we'll be fine," Stacy said, "and if anything happens, I'm sure my mom can handle it." She carefully handed Alexander over to Max, instructing him to take the baby a safe distance away. Once he had done so, she returned her attention to Ryan. "Okay, now let's see what Trace can do."

Ryan produced his cell phone and called to Trace who assembled himself in a flurry of geometric shapes a moment later.

Stacy brought out her empoleon Freya to serve as fire suppression, should the need arise, and began having Trace perform several basic moves, using the proper names of each. When Ryan asked why the jargon was necessary, she explained that pokemon often could produce multiple elemental effects that, while seemingly similar, were nonetheless very different. "For example," she said, "a Thundershock may seem a lot like a Discharge but one is a focused effect while the other affects a wide area - an important distinction if you're up against two pokemon and you know that one of them actually gets strengthened when hit by electricity."

After taking the porygon's measure, she had Ryan take a turn at giving commands. In truth, this part of the training was more for Ryan's benefit, as Stacy spent the majority of the time getting him accustomed to using the proper names of the moves Trace could do and using them to direct him.

"Your porygon is quite versatile," Stacy said, after having run Ryan through a few sets. "I wonder... Trace, I want you to try something different."

The porygon cocked its head and chirped inquisitively.

"Try generating both cold energy and electricity like your Ice Beam and Thunderbolt and use your psychic energy to compress and bind them into a single beam and shoot it at the rock."

Trace warbled uncertainly, then focused toward the target rock. His eyes drew down into an expression of intense concentration as two small globes of energy - one blue and one yellow - began to collect at the tips of his feet, followed by a red globe which appeared at his forehead. With a high-pitched buzz, Trace released rays of energy from each point, all three coming together at a point just in front of him and coalescing into a single multicolored, helical beam of red, blue and yellow that shot forward and blasted into the rock with a burst of light. The litter of loose, dry leaves and grass around the rock ignited and began to burn. Freya stepped forward and quickly doused the fire with a stream of water from her beak.

"That was pretty intense," Ryan said, surveying the scorched rock. "Never heard of making fire with ice before, though."

"That was called a tri-attack, and the fire was actually from the heat generated by the psychic compression. This particular attack can actually burn, paralyze or freeze an opponent, depending on how the beam hits it." She nodded approvingly at Trace. "This a powerful attack. Your porygon must be pretty strong to be able to pull it off."

Trace bobbed in the air, chirping proudly.

Ryan turned as he saw Buster trudging toward them with weary steps, breathing heavily around the pachirisu he held in his mouth by the scruff of its neck. Following behind was Cutter, similarly winded and holding a buneary. Both stopped in front of Ryan and Stacy, dropping their catches and collapsing to the ground, panting. Twitch and Mocha took but a moment to smooth their ruffled fur, then bounded lightly away.

"Good job, guys," Stacy said. "Let's take a break and we can pick it back up after lunch."

# # #

Ryan was watching Buster and Cutter recovering from their earlier exercise - Buster drinking water from a bowl and Cutter alternating between sipping from cup and taking bites from a fruit and grain bar - when Max approached, waving and vocalizing energetically. Ryan turned to face the blaziken. "What's up, Max?"

Max pointed at Ryan, then pointed at a spot where a small path led into the forest beyond.

"Is this about more training? Stacy said we weren't doing anything until after lunch." He nodded toward Buster who was lapping eagerly at his bowl of water. "At least give them a chance to catch their breath, for crying out loud."

Max shook his head, holding up an open hand toward Ryan's pokemon then pointed at Ryan himself.

"You mean just me?"

Max nodded emphatically and pointed toward the path once again.

Ryan sighed, then began walking in the indicated direction. "This better not take long," he muttered. "I'm getting hungry."

Ryan followed the narrow, meandering trail through the forest, now gilded in autumn colors of fire-red and gold both above in the branches and below in scatterings of fallen foliage. He continued on for a few minutes until he spotted a small, arrow-shaped piece of paper taped to one of the broad trunks. He looked in the direction of the arrow which pointed off toward a small stream away from the trail. He saw no sign of Stacy, but a splash of color on the ground near the stream caught his eye.

He walked toward it until he saw that it was a blue-colored blanket laid out among the fallen leaves near the gurgling stream. A plastic cooler sat upon the blanket in its center.

He was about to examine it further when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Stacy walking toward him along the edge of the stream.

"There you are," Stacy called as she approached. "You picked an interesting place to have a conversation."

"What are you talking about?" Ryan said.

"Gia told me you were out here and wanted to talk to me about something."

"That's funny, because Max told me _you_ wanted to see _me_."

Stacy glanced at the cooler sitting on the blanket, then sighed, half-smiling. "Oh, they didn't..." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm going to have to have a talk with those two."

Unfazed, Ryan opened the cooler, examining its contents. "Yeah, well, in the meantime, I'm starving and this stuff actually looks pretty good."

Stacy watched him take out several sandwiches and couple bottles of lemonade from the cooler and set them on the blanket. "I suppose it would be a shame to let it go to waste," she said. "Mind if I join you?"

Ryan tossed her a bottle of lemonade and nodded to an empty spot on the blanket.

From a distant vantage point, hidden from view, Gia and Max watched as the pair ate together, afterward reclining on the blanket in conversation which gave way to laughter as the two took turns tossing rawst berries into each others mouths. The two pokemon nodded to each other, smiling, and crept quietly away.

# # #

Later that day, after a few more rounds of speed training and some drills to familiarize Ryan with his pokemon's individual talents, Ryan was heading back into the clinic to catch up on his afternoon job duties when he spotted Christina's rhydon, Crash, leaning back against the wall of the clinic, relaxing in the late afternoon sun. Ryan was about to pass him by but something that had been nagging at him for far too long stopped him.

"You're looking pretty good, these days," Ryan said to the rhydon. "Christina must be taking pretty good care of you - better than that other guy, anyway." Ryan saw no response from Crash. If the rhydon noticed his presence, he gave no indication of it. Still, Ryan pressed on. "Look, I want you to know that I still feel bad about that fight. Maybe I should've popped your old trainer in the nose instead of dusting it up with you. I don't know. I never meant to get you kicked out of your home, though. I know what it's like to be abandoned. Even when someone else comes along to look after you, you don't know anything about them. It's like your whole world goes out the window and you..." he paused, seeing the rhydon finally regard him with an expressionless stare, "...you don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"

Unsurprisingly, Crash said nothing.

Ryan shook his head and sighed. "Good talk, Crash," he said, and started walking away.

The sound of a low, gravelly bark behind him stopped him short. He turned and saw Crash standing suddenly and surprisingly close. Crash looked down at him, his eyes no longer vacant, instead now filled with an odd intensity. The rhydon lifted a large hand and placed it on top of Ryan's head, holding it there, a soft rumbling note rolling in his throat. Finally, Crash turned and ambled back to his spot against the wall, closing his eyes.

Ryan stood there for a short time, then quietly went inside.

# # #

The next day, training resumed. After a quick review of the previous day's activities, Stacy was eager to move on.

"Now that we've covered some of the basics," Stacy said, "it's time for you to meet the pokemon who'll be making up my half of the team. For the pro-am, each of us will bring three pokemon to make a full team of six. Since Spike is still too young, that only leaves you with three, which makes your selection pretty easy. For my three, I chose pokemon that I think will make a good complement to yours." She pulled out a poké ball and tapped its release button. With a pop and a flash of light, her empoleon appeared before her. "You know Freya. As a water and steel type, she'll be good both on offense and defense."

She pulled another poké ball from her belt and from it emerged a great saurian pokemon that stood even taller than Max, its long neck stretching over six and a half feet high. Four broad leaves extended from its back and bunches of yellow fruit hung from its neck. "This is Samson, my tropius. He may look like a lumbering brute, but he's as graceful in the air as a braviary and his types make him a good all-around attacker."

Finally, she pulled a third poké ball, from which she released a pokemon of medium height that looked like an upright-walking crocodile, its reddish-brown hide slashed with bands of black. Its eyes lay sunken in pits of pitch-black above broad jaws filled with rows of large teeth. Its fingers, tipped with sharp claws, twitched eagerly as it looked up at Stacy. "Rounding things out is Dredge, my krookodile. If anyone tries to get frisky with us using electric pokemon, he'll shut 'em down quick."

In response, Dredge opened his toothy maw and stamped the ground with one foot, sending a sharp vibration through the earth beneath Ryan's feet.

"Easy there, Dredge," Stacy said, scratching him affectionately along the ridges of his back. "Now we'll run a few drills to get your pokemon used to tournament procedures. It's important that your pokemon learn to stop attacking once the referee's whistle blows. Attacking downed opponents is a no-no and your pokemon can get flagged for doing it. The League takes a dim view of trainers who can't control their pokemon."

Stacy had Cutter, Buster and Trace pair off with Freya, Samson and Dredge for light sparring that was frequently interrupted by her blowing a whistle, whereupon the combatants were expected to immediately stop. Stacy's pokemon responded instantly to the whistle, already being well-practiced at League battling and after a few rounds, Ryan's pokemon had picked it up as well.

"Now we're going to have a proper sparring match with you directing your pokemon," Stacy said. "This will be a test not only of how well you handle your pokemon but also how well they follow your directions. We'll start out one-on-one, then work our way up to team battles. Ready?"

"Let's do it," Ryan replied.

"Then send in your first pokemon." She turned to her krookodile. "Dredge, you're up first."

"I'll be starting with Cutter," Ryan said.

The two pokemon stepped forward into the area on the lawn marked off for the match, facing each other from their respective ends. Stacy brought her hand up and said, "Ready!". When Ryan nodded, she dropped her hand and blew her whistle.

Cutter and Dredge advanced on each other, Cutter extending his arm blades and Dredge snapping his wide jaws eagerly.

"Move in, Cutter, and watch those jaws," Ryan called out.

Cutter circled in closer, ducking away from a few quick snaps from the krookodile's maw, testing his opponent's defenses. When he spotted an opening, he moved in for a quick slashing strike.

"Dredge, Shadow Claw!" Stacy shouted.

The krookodile's clawed fingers burned with a purple nimbus and he slashed out with them at Cutter. Ryan's gallade dodged backward, but Dredge's claws still managed to rake a grazing line across Cutter's shoulder. Cutter winced from the strike which burned, slight though it was.

"Be careful, Ryan," Stacy called across the field. "Most pokemon can surprise you with moves that have nothing to do with their types."

"Alright Cutter, watch his claws, then go in low with a Leaf Blade," Ryan said.

Cutter nodded then pressed his attack, dancing around Dredge's counterattacks. Cutter dashed in again, his arm blades glowing green, outlined in a long, thin, translucent leaf shape, and slashed low, staggering Stacy's krookodile.

Stacy blew her whistle and both combatants immediately halted. "Good choice, Ryan. You recognized that Cutter's usual psychic-based attack would be ineffective and picked a strong alternative."

Ryan simply nodded, smiling.

"Okay," she continued, "let's go two-on-two. Dredge, come on back. Freya, Rush, your turn."

Ryan looked down at his porygon. "Trace, go back Cutter up."

Trace emitted a short, electronic chirp and floated toward Cutter on the field. Meanwhile, Stacy's luxray and empoleon moved forward with Rush advancing ahead of Freya.

"Keep it tight and don't let Rush get behind you," Ryan called. In response, Trace and Cutter moved in close with each other, watching their opponents.

"Grouping up isn't always the best strategy, Ryan," Stacy said from across the lawn. "Freya, back off. Rush, Discharge!"

Stacy's empoleon, already hanging back, widened the distance between herself and her partner. The luxray dashed forward toward Ryan's pokemon and roared, filling the air around it with long arcs of electricity which engulfed both Cutter and Trace, momentarily staggering them.

"Sometimes it isn't," Ryan said to Stacy, "but sometimes it is. Trace, Conversion protocol two. Cutter, Double Team!"

The polygons of Trace's body flickered, changing from their usual red and blue coloration to yellow and blue while Cutter, taking a moment to concentrate, began to surround himself with illusory copies of himself.

In response, Stacy sent her pokemon in for the attack. Rush dashed in, snapping at Cutter, but each time, his electrified jaws found only a duplicate that evaporated between his teeth. Freya moved ponderously forward, spitting a jet of water that Trace dodged.

Ryan pointed to the empoleon. "Okay Trace, Thunderbolt on Freya."

Electricity began to arc between the porygon's feet, made stronger now that Trace had converted itself to an electrical type from Rush's attack, and lashed out in a sizzling bolt that struck the empoleon, dropping it down to all fours. Having neutralized his opponent, Trace turned toward the luxray."

"Rush, Discharge!" Stacy shouted.

The luxray filled the air with electricity once again. The energy disrupted a couple Double Team copies of Cutter but barely seemed to touch Trace, dancing almost harmlessly across his body.

"Trace, Psybeam," Ryan commanded.

A thin, pink beam shot from between Trace's eyes, striking Rush. It left no mark upon the luxray's body but left it wobbling dizzily, breaking its electrical attack.

Before Ryan could give a command to Cutter, Stacy blew her whistle. "Well played, Ryan," she said. "Rush was about to be easy pickings for Cutter. Taking that first hit allowed Trace to dominate the battle."

"It's not about who hits first," Ryan said, "it's who hits last."

"Since you're doing so well, let's kick things up a notch. Three-on-three."

"Alright, Buster. You're up." Ryan watched his metalleon run onto the field, joining Trace and Cutter.

"Rush, Freya, come on back. Gia, Max, Samson, you're in."

Stacy's empoleon and luxray joined her krookodile on the sidelines while her gardevoir, blaziken and tropius took the field in their place.

"Cutter, take Max and watch his feet," Ryan called.

"Gia. Use Psychic on Buster. Max, keep Cutter busy. Samson, take to the air."

The air rippled with Gia's psychic force, slamming into Buster. The metalleon winced from the attack, which didn't seem to do a lot of damage, but left Buster growling, his angular, blade-like ears laying back in irritation. Meanwhile, Max and Cutter had squared off, Max taking the initiative and striking out with fiery kicks. Samson, with a mighty flap of his leafy wings, launched into the air.

Ryan said, "Buster, move in on Gia and hit her with your Iron Head. Trace, come around and get Samson with an Ice Beam. That should fix 'em both."

Buster hunkered down, getting ready to charge while Trace pulled back taking aim at the tropius circling overhead. Just as Buster started charging in, Ryan noticed that the fight between Max and Cutter was starting to drift toward...

"Buster, stop!" Ryan shouted. The metalleon skidded to a halt, only a few yards short of Gia. "Pull back and guard Samson." Buster flicked a questioning look at Ryan, then looked back toward Gia in front of him. "Back!" Ryan commanded, gesturing toward himself.

Reluctantly, Buster backed off, taking a defensive position in the rear.

"Trace, Conversion protocol one," Ryan continued. "Match to Psybeam and engage Gia."

Ryan's porygon began to change color again, this time to a combination of pink and grey, and moved in on Gia.

With that, Max started to edge away again, taking the melee between himself and Cutter with it. As the match wore on, Max's greater experience began to show as he started wearing Cutter down. Gia, meanwhile, was finding her strongest attacks to now have little effect on Trace who was rapidly beating down her defenses with his Signal Beam. Despite his aerial mobility, Samson couldn't seem to gain ground on Buster as his attacks repeatedly bounced off of the metalleon's armored hide but neither could Buster seem to gain advantage over his aerial opponent.

Finally, Stacy blew her whistle, ending the match. "Nicely done, everyone. You know, Ryan, you're a natural at this. You saw the trap I was laying for Buster with Max and repositioned him rather than taking the bait and going for the type-advantage hit on Gia."

"It's just a matter of keeping your surroundings in mind," Ryan said. "It's one of the things I learned when I was taught how to fight."

"Your teacher must've been pretty good. Who was it that taught you?"

Ryan made a small but genuine smile. "A friend."

"I think that'll do it for today, then," Stacy said. "Again, good job. Let's get everyone inside and patched up."

# # #

Ryan stood in the back hallway of Doctor Lynd's house, eyeing the small wrapped box in his hand with concern. "Are you sure about this, Cutter? I really think I should've given this to her when she got her other presents."

 _It'll be better this way_ , Cutter said. _And why are you so worried about this?_

"Because Christina's a nice girl and this is her birthday. I don't want to ruin it for her."

 _Trust me, you're not going to ruin anything._ Seeing the look of concern on Ryan's face he added, _And if there's a problem, I'll tell her it was my idea. Speaking of which_ , he glanced toward Christina who was walking in their direction in the hallway.

"Okay, now that we're all done eating, what's the big surprise?" Christina asked.

"It's not that big a surprise," Ryan said, "I just thought it would be nice for you to have something that wasn't part of a big pile."

"Ooh, personal touch, hmm? I'm intrigued," Christina said, grinning. "So, whadja get me?"

Ryan handed her the box and watched her tear open the paper wrapping. "Like I said, it's nothing major..." he trailed off.

When she lifted the lid off the box, her eyes grew wide, flitting from its contents to Ryan and back again. Slowly, she lifted out a silver necklace from which hung a small hummingbird made of cunningly woven gold wire, its slender wings extended in a pose of flight. "It's... it's beautiful," she gasped. She turned the hummingbird pendant over in her hands, her face beaming. "It must've cost so much! Did it? Sorry, I know I'm not supposed to ask. It's so pretty, though! Where did you find it? I..." she blinked, then quickly clapped her mouth shut. A moment later, she thrust the necklace out to him. "Put it on me! I want to wear it right now!"

She turned around and pulled her long, blonde hair to the side. Ryan then slipped the necklace around her neck, fastening it closed.

Her gift now securely placed, she faced Ryan again, touching the hummingbird with a finger. "Thank you, Ryan," she said with a demure smile. "I love it." Before he could respond, she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, then turned and hurried away.

 _I told you she'd like it_ , Cutter said, looking up at Ryan whose face was quickly taking on an unusually dark shade of red.

Ryan said nothing, merely nodding before walking away.

Cutter watched him go, a sly grin slowly spreading across his face.


	8. Showtime, Part 1

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Showtime - Part 1**

Arceus paced along the plateau of the mountain, anxiously pondering the all-too-infrequent snippets of news he'd thus far received. To make matters worse, the Winds of Time had now grown so turbulent and chaotic that it was nearly impossible to discern anything meaningful from them. A sharp pop - much louder than usual - heralded the arrival of one of his usual visitors. He nodded to the tiny, pink-headed pokemon floating in the air. "Welcome back, Mesprit. I haven't seen..."

 _You heartless bastard!_ Mesprit cried, pointing a tiny, accusatory finger at Arceus who actually flinched in surprise at the intensity of her mental voice. _This is all your fault!_

Quickly regaining his composure, Arceus asked, "What are you talking about? What is my fault?"

 _You know_ exactly _what I'm talking about_ , Mesprit fumed. _That's why you acted so dodgy when I asked you about Dialga._

"So you've spoken with him, then," Arceus said, not as a question.

 _You're damn right I did._ Mesprit floated up in front of Arceus' face, arms crossed and eyes narrowing. _Did you really say 'There will be others?'_

Arceus did not immediately reply, but his stolid expression and averted eyes told Mesprit what she needed to know.

 _How could you? He came to you for help and you..._ She uncrossed her arms, balling her tiny hands into fists which quivered at her side. _You're his father!_

Arceus' eyes lowered, his towering form sagging as if suddenly saddled with a great weight. "You are correct, Mesprit. I am his father and therein lies the problem."

Mesprit blinked in bewilderment. _How does that... I don't understand._

"In the early days, I brought Dialga into being, but not as any parent of this world does. In a single act, I at once created him fully formed and competent for his task."

 _I understand that, but what does that have to do with anything?_

"It was the same for all my children, even you, Mesprit. I did not create any of them as helpless infants clinging to my feet. I invested them with power and the knowledge they would need to begin their lives and attend to their duties. Because of this, I have never had to raise them, to guide them and ultimately, to come to know their minds and hearts as other parents do. It was not until the passage of many years that I realized my error and by then it was too late. My children had become as strangers to me and likewise, they had no need of me." Arceus shook his head and sighed. "Do you not see the irony? I am the father of all pokemon, and yet, a father is the one thing I am not."

Mesprit's tense expression slowly eased as she pondered his words. _I see. Well, that explains a few things I've been wondering about for some time. You're wrong about one thing, though. It's not too late._ She floated down to look up into his eyes. _And Dialga still needs you. Your_ son _still needs you._

Another sharp popping sound drew their attention as Mesprit's blue-headed sibling suddenly appeared. Before even seeing Azelf's frantic, wide-eyed expression and twitching tails, Mesprit could tell something was terribly wrong as she could feel the panic radiating from him.

Azelf darted forward, locking eyes with both of them in turn. _We have a problem,_ he said.

# # #

"How much farther is it?" came Jennifer's voice from the back seat of the car.

Stacy glanced back at her youngest sister through the rear view mirror. "We'll be getting off the freeway in just a few more minutes."

"It's too bad mom couldn't come," Jennifer said.

Christina, sitting next to her in the back seat said, "I know she wanted to come, but it wouldn't be good for Alexander to be around thousands of screaming fans all day. She'll be watching the tournament on TV, though."

"They're actually going to televise this?" Ryan, sitting in the front passenger seat asked.

"Of course," Stacy said. "The League makes big money from these events. That's how they're able to subsidize the Pokemon Centers and all the aid, rescue and outreach programs.

Christina poked her head between the front seats and peered at Ryan. "So, are you nervous?"

Ryan shrugged. "It's no big deal. I mean, this whole thing is just basically a training exercise, remember?"

"That's true," Stacy said, "but I hope you're taking this seriously. It defeats the purpose of it if you're not."

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't," Ryan said. He looked over at Stacy and saw the concern on her face as she focused on the road and added, "Look, I know this stuff is important to you, okay? I'm not going to leave you hanging."

"You'd better not," Jennifer piped up from the back seat. "I want you guys to win!"

After exiting the freeway, they wound their way through the thick traffic of the streets of Angel City before finally arriving at their destination: Angel City Memorial Coliseum.

Ryan looked up at the massive stadium - a concrete juggernaut crowned with colorful pennants - looming impassively over the crowds swarming through the grassy park surrounding it. The nearest buildings stood well away from the coliseum, as if in deference to the great old edifice which visibly dwarfed them even at a distance. Banners emblazoned with the stylized poké ball emblem of the Pokemon League hung from lampposts lining the walkways surrounding the coliseum where throngs of fans lined up, awaiting entrance to the event.

As they made their way toward the entrance, they saw Gerard weaving his way through the crowds toward them. They stopped to let him catch up.

"Ah, I am so glad to have caught you before you went in," Gerard said. "I wanted to wish you luck and also to tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing your metalleon in action. You are going to compete with him, are you not?"

Ryan nodded and said, "Yep. Kind of had to, seeing as how I only have three pokemon to begin with. He's pretty tough, though, so I don't think you'll be disappointed."

Stacy said, "Yeah, I think we're going to do great today. Okay, guys, Ryan and I have to go check in. We'll see you after the match, okay?"

Christina went up to her sister and gave her a hug. "Good luck, Stacy. Show these guys how it's done."

"You know I will," Stacy said, smiling.

Christina turned toward Ryan, looking as though she was about to step toward him, but instead she simply pushed a strand of hair away from her face, flashing a tiny smile and said, "Good luck to you, too, Ryan."

Gerard smiled and said, "I'm sure you will both make a good showing of yourself, regardless of the outcome. Now, we should get to our seats before the lines get too long, eh? _Bon chance_!"

The group then split up. Christina, Jennifer and Gerard headed for the main gate while Stacy led Ryan around the coliseum to a side entrance marked with a sign which read "Competitors Only". Immediately inside, they were greeted by a man seated at a table behind a computer who asked for Stacy's Pokemon League identification card. The man scanned her card then handed it back along with two additional large laminated cards with lanyards looped through them.

"Welcome, Miss Lynd, Mister Meadows," he said. "Good luck today."

Ryan looked at the card Stacy handed him - an event ID which bore his name and photo with a hologram of the Pokemon League's emblem embedded in the lamination. He saw Stacy slip her card's lanyard around her neck and did the same.

"You're lucky to have me as a partner, you know," Stacy said, pointing to the writing on the back of her event ID. "The eight highest-ranked League pros who attend this event are automatically seeded into the tournament along with their partners. Everyone else had to fight it out in an elimination round yesterday for the other eight slots."

Ryan glanced at the back of his own event card and saw that they were seeded sixth.

As Stacy led them through the wide hallway, Ryan said, "When we were training, you explained how this tournament works in bits and pieces but I think it would help if you ran the whole thing down to me one more time."

"Sure," Stacy said. "It's run as a standard single-elimination bracket. When the match starts, everyone sends their first pokemon out at the same time, so its luck of the draw on what you face at the beginning. You can sub out your pokemon at any time if you find yourself in a bad match-up, but each competitor gets only one substitution per match, so use it wisely. You can replace a downed pokemon with anyone you choose, of course. Speaking of downed pokemon, remember that each competitor can have only one pokemon on the field at a time, so if one of us runs out of pokemon, our team will be stuck with just one battler out, even if the other person still has more than one pokemon left. And no smack talk, either. You can get penalized for that. Remember, this is a professional sport, not a playground brawl."

They turned out of the hallway and into a large room full of the voices of people milling about within. Ryan immediately noticed that, almost without exception, everyone was grouped in pairs and not interacting with others. A large television hanging on a wall tuned to a local sports channel added to the low din.

As Ryan scanned the room, he noted the broad range of ages of those gathered, some looking as young as twelve while others appeared to be in their late thirties with a variety of nationalities. "This is the competition, I take it?" he asked. "Anyone in particular we should look out for?"

"First off, everyone you see here is someone you should take seriously," Stacy said. "That being said, there are a few people I know for a fact who are dangerous." She pointed to a Latino in his thirties conferring with a much younger girl. "That's Armand DeSantos. He competes in both singles and doubles tournaments so he knows his stuff and he has an aggron I don't want to have to tangle with." She nodded toward a girl in her late teens with short brown hair and gray eyes standing near the television. "And that's Mila Petrov. She battles in the new team triples circuit. She's a beast on the field and she's been tearing her way through the ranks. Everyone expects her to break the circuit's top ten by next summer."

The approach of one of the competitors - a young man with strong Japanese features - caused Stacy to pause.

"Hey Stacy, it's been awhile," the young man said with a smile, extending a hand.

"It sure has," she responded, shaking his hand. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"My cousin Junpei wants to get into the League, so I'm showing him the ropes. So, are you going to introduce me to your partner?"

"Oh, right, of course. This is Ryan Meadows. Ryan, I'd like you to meet Shinichiro Takazawa, the current number one ranked trainer in singles competition."

"Shinichiro," Ryan said, shaking his hand, "are you from Johto?"

"Call me Shin, and yes, I am from Johto. You have a perceptive eye," he said with an appreciative smile. "Most people I run into assume that everyone in Japan is from Kanto."

"I used to know someone from Johto," Ryan said.

"Meadows..." Shin began. "Aren't you the one with that new metal eevee everyone's been talking about?"

"I didn't know everyone was talking about it, but yeah, that's me."

"I hope you brought it along. I'd love to see how it does in competition."

Stacy leaned in. "Well, you'll just have to wait until the tournament starts to find out, just like everyone else."

"Of course," Shin said to Stacy. "I should probably let you get back to your preparations, then. I need to get back to my cousin, anyway. Good luck out there."

Once Shin had left, Stacy said, "He's a nice guy, but I'm glad he battles on a different circuit. He's scary good. Fortunately for us, he's probably seeded number one, so he shouldn't be in our half of the bracket.

Ryan and Stacy sat down, spending the time before the start of the tournament to go over some last minute strategies. Finally, a man wearing an Event Staff shirt with the Pokemon League logo entered the room and announced that the competition was about to begin and called out the first two teams to the staging area.

The room fell mostly silent as everyone turned their attention to the television showing the broadcast of the opening of the event. The competitors watched the University of Angel City marching band cross the field in complex formations as they played while flying pokemon winged overhead in an aerial display to the delight of the fans.

Once the pre-event pageantry had concluded, the officials took to the field and the first teams were announced.

Ryan noticed that a Mr. Mime wearing a striped shirt accompanied the referee to his position on the sidelines. "What's up with the pokemon wearing ref uniforms?" he asked in a whisper.

Stacy leaned in close and said, "The Mr. Mime is there to help the referee keep things under control if things get too wild on the field.

"And what about the kadabras posted up next to each team?"

"They retrieve the poké balls the trainers throw out onto the field," Stacy replied. "It's not like they're going to magically fly back to your hand on their own, you know."

Ryan rolled his eyes and returned to watching the broadcast.

They watched the first match and afterward, Stacy commented on the apparent strategies each team used and why each succeeded or failed. They sat waiting as pairs of teams were called out in turn to do battle. As each match concluded, the number of people in the waiting area began to diminish.

"Our turn should be coming up any minute now," Stacy said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Ryan said. He paused, seeing her features beginning to tighten with an edge of anxiety, then added, "Don't worry. I meant what I said before." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I've got your back, okay?"

She looked into his eyes and the tension on her face eased into a small smile. "Thanks, Ryan. That means a lot to me."

A man wearing an "Event Staff" shirt entered the room. "Davis and Sanderson, white team! Lynd and Meadows, red team!" he called.

Ryan cocked a half grin. "Come on, let's go kick some ass."

A woman waiting in the hallway escorted Ryan and Stacy to a staging area where a tunnel led out to the field. From there, the din of the fans - distantly audible from the waiting room - echoed almost deafeningly.

"Can you feel it?" Stacy asked as the sound of the crowd surged in response to the announcing of the other team. "The roar of the crowd reverberating through your body, the anticipation, the energy of thousands of people pounding into you all at once. It's almost primal." Her hand went to the poké balls on her belt, resting her fingertips lightly upon them. "There's nothing like it."

Ryan swallowed through a dryness taking hold in his throat. "Yeah. It's something, all right."

 _And now, the red team_ , the announcer's voice boomed from the field.

"That's our cue," Stacy said.

Together, Ryan and Stacy walked the rest of the way down the tunnel, emerging into the vast bowl of the coliseum itself.

 _From Arborea Hills, currently ranked seventeenth worldwide in team doubles: Stacy Lynd!_

Ryan craned his head up at the stands - which seemed so much larger from this perspective - where the spectators cheered their arrival.

 _And from our very own Angel City, in his first Pokemon League event appearance: Ryan Meadows!_

The response from the spectators sounded even livelier than even Stacy received, which Ryan suspected had more to do with him being a local than anything else. Still, it brought a tiny grin to his face.

The competition field stretched out in front of them was marked off in a rectangle capped in end zones, each in the shape of half an elongated poké ball, one red and one white. At the of apex of each end zone stood a table with depressions for holding poké balls. It was at the nearest table that Ryan and Stacy took their places, depositing their poké balls upon it. A kadabra in League livery approached from the sidelines to stand nearby.

The referee gestured toward Ryan and Stacy's end of the field. "Red team, ready!" he shouted.

Stacy selected a poké ball and held it up. Ryan looked at his three poké balls, picked up the one containing Cutter and held it up.

The referee gestured toward the opposite end of the field and shouted, "White team, ready!"

Their opponents each held aloft their starting poké balls in response.

The referee held both hands out, then brought them together and blew his whistle. Stacy and Ryan threw their poké balls onto the field, as did their opponents, each releasing their occupants with a pop and a flash of light. Cutter emerged from his poké ball, flanked by Stacy's tropius, Samson. On the far end of the field, the first of the opponents' pokemon to emerge had white fur with red slashes, long ears and sharp claws. It was joined by a quadrupedal blue pokemon, armored in seashell with a broad-finned tail and a large horn jutting from its head.

With the emergence of the combatants, the spectators erupted in cheers.

"A zangoose and a samurott," Stacy said to Ryan as their poké balls floated back to them, telekinetically retrieved by their kadabra. "A lucky match-up for our first pokemon. I'll take the samurott."

Ryan nodded. "Cutter, move in on that zangoose!" he shouted.

Cutter dashed forward, closing in on the zangoose who was casting uncertain looks at the humans conferring animatedly with each other behind it. Ryan suspected that they were trying to manage a last-second strategy to deal with their type-disadvantaged start. Meanwhile, at Stacy's command, Samson had taken wing, streaking toward the samurott.

Finally, just as Cutter was almost within striking distance, the zangoose's trainer roused to action. "Zangoose, Crush Claw!" he yelled.

The zangoose leapt into the fray with a powerful, double-handed swing of its long-clawed hands which Cutter avoided with a twist of his body and a sideways jink.

"Cutter, stay in close and hit him with a Brick Break!" Ryan commanded.

Cutter came around the back of the zangoose after dodging another full-power swing and brought his hand down in a sharp chop to the back of the zangoose's head. The zangoose stumbled forward a step, carried along by a combination of the momentum of its own failed attack and the force of Cutter's strike, before pitching forward onto the ground.

The referee held his hand up for a few seconds, then pointed at the fallen zangoose. "Down!" he called.

Stacy's tropius, meanwhile, swooped around the opposing samurott, dodging swipes of the aquatic pokemon's blades that it had drawn from its forearm sheaths.

"Samson, Energy Ball!" Stacy yelled.

In response, the tropius wheeled high then hovered briefly as a globe of roiling green energy formed in its mouth. The globe shot forth from Samson's maw, streaking toward the samurott and exploding against the aquatic pokemon's blue hide in a coruscating burst of yellow and green. With a low, moaning cry, the samurott fell.

"Down!" the referee shouted.

Ryan and Stacy exchanged a brief, triumphant glance as their opponents withdrew their fallen pokemon and sent their next battlers - a humanoid pokemon with a short tail armored in a spiky, domed carapace paired with a large, falcon-like avian with bright red plumage tipped in black. This time, their trainers did not hesitate to command their attack.

"Chesnaught, use Pin Missile on that gallade," the first opponent called.

"Talonflame, roast the tropius with a Flame Charge!" ordered the second.

The carapaced chesnaught grinned through its white-furred beard and hunkered down, firing the huge spikes protruding from its armor at Ryan's gallade. Cutter dove away from the first two spikes and knocked away a third with his arm blades to renewed cheers from the crowd. The red-plumed talonflame, meanwhile, streaked toward Stacy's tropius, its body wreathed in flame. Though Samson was nimble in the air, the fiery talonflame quickly began closing the distance, matching it move for move in an aerial ballet of speed and agility.

"This is getting a little hairy," Ryan said, watching Cutter dodge another Pin Missile attack from the chesnaught. "If that talonflame catches Samson, he's literally going to be toast. Should we sub?"

"No, wait," Stacy said. "That chesnaught's trainer isn't having him close in on Cutter. He's focusing on the type-advantage strike and not thinking tactically. We can use that to our advantage. Follow my lead, okay?" She turned toward the battle and called out, "Samson, dive toward Cutter, now!"

With the talonflame hot on his tail in more ways than one, Stacy's tropius winged a sharp U-turn then dove down toward where Cutter was weaving through another salvo of Pin Missiles.

"Ryan, take him now!" Stacy exclaimed.

"Cutter, Psycho Cut the talonflame!" Ryan shouted.

Samson streaked right toward Cutter, winging aside at the last moment. Before the pursuing talonflame could react, Cutter slashed his arm in a sweeping, overhead arc, the incredible forward momentum of his opponent's breakneck pursuit driving it savagely into his blade. The talonflame tumbled to the ground, bouncing and rolling along the turf until it finally skidded to a stop, its wings clutched to its midsection.

"Okay, Samson, now come around with an Air Slash!" Stacy ordered.

The tropius climbed back into the air then pulled a wide turn to come sailing back at the chesnaught who was momentarily alone, its fallen teammate being recalled into its poké ball. Samson then suddenly backwinged above and in front of the chesnaught with a single sharp beat of his four wings, flinging blades of compressed air that lashed his ground-bound opponent with an audible snap, knocking it backward and sending it sprawling to the ground.

The chesnaught lay there for a moment before trying to push itself back to its feet. As it struggled to get up, Ryan could see that its shell was cracked and the tip of one of its large body spikes had been sheared off. It managed to get to its knees before collapsing at last.

"Down!" the referee shouted.

A red beam of light recalled the chesnaught to the poké held in its trainer's hand. Ryan and Stacy's opponents then threw their last poké balls onto the field. First to emerge was a pyramidal slab of indigo stone pierced with glassy red shards and standing on four blocky feet. An angular face set with a glowering expression topped its rocky body. At its side appeared a mouse-like pokemon with orange fur and a long, whiplike tail tipped with a lightning bolt-shaped flare.

Stacy grimaced then said, "Samson's tough, but even he's no match for a gigalith and a raichu." She hit the large yellow button on her half of the table which caused a display on the table's front to flash yellow in response.

"Substitution, red!" the referee called.

A digital timer on the table began to count down the seconds Stacy had to retrieve her pokemon and send out the next. She held out Samson's poké ball and tapped its recall button, sending out a red beam which pulled the tropius back inside it. "Be ready to pull Cutter back when I say, alright?"

"Got it," Ryan replied. He watched her hurl the poké ball, from which her krookodile, Dredge, burst forth onto the field.

"Raichu, Thunder! Gigalith, Stone Edge!" came the battle commands from the opposition and their pokemon quickly responded.

The raichu darted forward on all fours, then popped up on its hind legs again, electricity arcing between its yellow cheek glands, building in intensity until, with a cry and a retina-searing blue-white flash, the raichu unleashed a tremendous, forking bolt of lightning at Ryan's gallade. After blinking away the afterimage of the flash, Ryan saw Cutter scuttling backwards on his rump, the grass where he'd been standing moments before having been charred black in a wide circle.

The gigalith lumbered forward as well, rearing up and pounding its front feet on the ground which sent spears of rocky earth shooting up from the turf in a line toward Dredge. The krookodile made no move to evade, only crossing his arms in front of his face as lances of rock enveloped him. The gigalith's trainer gave an exultant shout at the successful attack.

"Now, Ryan," Stacy said with a smile.

"Cutter, run this way, now!" Ryan shouted.

The gallade had barely scampered to his feet and taken the first few steps when the rock surrounding Stacy's krookodile exploded outward, revealing an almost untouched Dredge grinning wickedly, his arms outstretched.

"Dredge, Earthquake!" Stacy commanded.

The krookodile raised his thick, scaly tail and slammed it down on the ground with a _boom_ , sending a powerful seismic shock wave rippling outward in all directions, churning the ground as it went. Even being at the farthest end of the field, Ryan felt the powerful jolt like a hammer blow beneath his feet. The raichu and gigalith, both having rushed forward to press their attacks, were simultaneously caught in the quake - the gigalith thrown backward, tumbling roughly before finally coming to rest motionless on its side while the raichu thrashed helplessly, half-buried in roiling earth. Even Cutter didn't fully escape the attack, the rippling earth pitching him roughly through the air to land face-down near the end of the field.

The shrill sound of the referee's whistle pierced the roar of the fans. "Down!" he shouted, then gestured with one hand toward Ryan and Stacy. "Red team wins the match!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, punctuated with the sound of whistles and horns. Ryan rushed forward to Cutter, who was slowly regaining his feet. "Hey, you okay? That looked like a pretty rough landing."

Cutter spit out a few blades of grass and nodded.

"Those were some nice moves, you know," Ryan said, helping Cutter up.

 _Thank you_ , he said, glancing over at Stacy who had Dredge wrapped up in a hug, _but I think Stacy's pokemon did most of the work_.

"Come on," Ryan said, "you did great. You totally rang that zangoose's bell and you took out that talonflame in one hit."

"And don't forget some fine teamwork," Stacy said, walking toward them. "So, Ryan, what do you think about sport battling now?"

Ryan looked up at the crowd, taking in the raucous acclaim of the fans. Up in the stands behind him, he saw Christina and Jennifer jumping up and down, waving and shouting, their words lost amid the din. "I'll admit, it has its moments," he said.

The same woman who led them out escorted them back inside. Instead of returning to the waiting area, Stacy led them to a different room filled with high-end medical equipment attended by uniformed veterinary personnel. Ryan recognized the largest machines connected to rows of bed-like platforms as bio-reactors and it was upon these that several pokemon lay, recovering from their match.

"Do we even need to be here? Ryan asked. "We barely took a scratch out there."

"Yes, we do," Stacy replied. "Our pokemon will need their full strength for each round." She summoned one of the staff who helped her put Dredge and Samson onto separate platforms, drawing armatures from the sides over them.

The man in the veterinarian's coat turned to Ryan and asked if he needed assistance. After a stern look from Stacy, Ryan consented to have Cutter placed within the bio-reactor as well.

Ryan's attention shifted from Cutter, who now lay serenely under a soft glow of energy emanating from the armatures curved over him, to a nearby bio-reactor where the chesnaught that Samson had defeated lay. He leaned toward Stacy and whispered, "You know, that one doesn't look so hot. I thought this was supposed to be all friendly and stuff."

"Actually, it's not nearly as bad as it looks," Stacy said. "The shell of a chesnaught isn't actually part of its flesh, kind of like your fingernails aren't living parts of your hands. Even without the bio-reactor, it would just shed the cracked shell and grow a new one. And as for the sheared spikes, remember that it was firing them off just a few minutes ago."

"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot about that," Ryan said.

"Humans didn't invent pokemon battling, you know," Stacy said. "Pokemon battle for dominance in the wild all the time without killing each other. It's how such powerful creatures establish their place among each other without wrecking the entire world with titanic death-struggles. For example, you know how sharp Cutter can make his blades and yet the talonflame he fought didn't have its guts spilling out all over the field when he took it down."

"That's true. I guess I never thought about it that way."

"Now you know.," Stacy said with a warm smile. "Right now, though, the best thing you can think about is our next match. Trust me, it's going to get a lot tougher real fast."

# # #

As they took the field for the second time, now as the white team, Stacy turned to Ryan, gesturing toward the short-haired girl on the opposite end of the field and said, "Do you recognize who's on the other team? It's Mila Petrov. I hope you remember how tough I told you she was."

"Yeah, well, you're no slouch, either," Ryan replied.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Ryan, but don't underestimate her - or her teammate for that matter. She wouldn't have brought him if he wasn't up to snuff and they did win their first match, after all."

"Any tips, then?" Ryan asked.

"Don't lead with Cutter. After seeing how well you did with him, they'll be expecting that. Also, Mila likes to lead with her infernape because it's quick and strong. If she does, I'll have something nasty waiting for her."

"Red team, ready!" the referee shouted. Mila and her teammate each held up their starting poké ball.

Stacy picked up a poké ball and smiled at Ryan. "Okay. Here we go."

"White team, ready!" the referee called.

Ryan picked up his first poké ball and held it up. "Showtime."

The referee brought his hands together, blowing his whistle, and the four trainers threw their poké balls onto the field.

First to come out was Freya, Stacy's empoleon, who raised her steel-clad wings with a loud cry. Joining her was Ryan's porygon, Trace, whose colors flickered briefly before settling into their usual red and blue.

First to emerge on the opposite end of the field was a simian pokemon with brown and white fur and a crown of flame dancing on its head. It hopped up in an acrobatic display of backflips, trailing looping streamers of fire from its hands and feet. Next to it, standing about a foot taller, was an insectoid pokemon with the form of a giant mantis, its forearms consisting of long, sharp, forward-curving blades. The double pair of transparent wings on its back quivered eagerly.

"Looks like I was right about the infernape," Stacy said. "I'll handle that one, you take the scyther."

Ryan nodded then turned to his pokemon. "Trace, move in and zap the scyther with a Thunderbolt," Ryan ordered.

In response, Ryan's porygon floated forward, Freya lumbering along behind him.

At their trainers' command, the opposing pokemon took off like a shot, the infernape bounding forward on all fours while the scyther sped through the air above, both tearing across the field with astonishing speed. Ryan and Stacy's pokemon had barely crossed a third of the distance of the field before their opponents were upon them.

"Infernape, Mach Punch on the empoleon!" Mila shouted.

The infernape quickly zigzagged around Trace, then darted forward at Freya covering the last ten feet between them in an instantaneous blur evidenced only by the streak of light from the fire on its head, ending in a powerful punch straight to Freya's midsection, staggering her back a step, before swiftly somersaulting backward out of reach.

"Scyther, Silver Wind!" the second trainer called. The scyther rose up and beat its wings in a furious, droning blur, blasting Trace with an abrasive gust of tiny silvery scales that scoured the porygon, leaving its smooth surface scraped and pitted.

"Hydro Cannon, Freya," Stacy called out. "Hose that fire monkey down!"

Freya responded by spewing a torrent of water from her mouth at the agile infernape who flipped and tumbled away, deftly dodging the deluge even as Freya chased it with the stream. With a final backflip, the infernape landed lightly on its feet, bone dry and unharmed.

"Okay Infernape," Mila commanded, "move in for Close Combat and take the empoleon down!"

The infernape leapt forward, coming down several feet in front of Freya then tumbled in under a defensive swipe from the empoleon's steel-edged wing before hopping up high, lashing out with both feet at once in a vicious double kick to Freya's face. The force of the impact staggered the empoleon again, driving her backward. She weakly windmilled her wings, trying vainly to keep her balance on wobbly legs before finally falling backward to the ground, unmoving.

"Down!" The referee shouted.

Trace, meanwhile, shook off the silvery scales that had scored his body, finally mustering himself to make his first attack. Electricity briefly arced between his feet before blasting outward in a jagged bolt at his attacker who quickly dove to the ground, avoiding the attack. Trace lashed out with several more bolts in rapid succession but the scyther proved just as nimble on the ground as in the air, rolling and diving away from each attack, though from some, only barely.

"Scyther, Slash!" its trainer commanded.

The scyther's wings buzzed, propelling it forward along the ground in a lightning rush at Trace. In the blink of an eye, the scyther was upon him. The porygon ducked the bladed arm that sliced a horizontal line through the air a hair's breadth above him as its momentum carried it past. With a furious beating of its wings, the scyther quickly reversed its motion, darting back in and lashing out with rapid swipes at Trace. The porygon, now having found his rhythm, deftly dodged each strike in turn.

"Okay," Stacy said to Ryan, quickly recalling Freya. "keep the scyther busy while I take care of the infernape." She threw out her second poké ball, from which emerged her tropius. "Samson, take off and Air Slash the infernape!" she commanded.

Ryan had to briefly shield his face from the blast of wind kicked up by the tropius' four leaf-wings as it hurled itself into the air. It arrowed toward the infernape advancing on Trace, who was still being harried by the scyther's attack. With another sharp wingbeat, Samson launched a blade of air down at the infernape, striking it dead-on. The impact sent the infernape tumbling, but it quickly recovered, rolling back to its feet, if a bit unsteadily.

"Flare Blitz, Infernape! Burn it out of the sky!" Mila shouted.

The infernape let loose a high-pitched, shrieking cry and the flames streaming from its head, hands and feet exploded out, enveloping the simian pokemon's body in raging fire. It dashed forward, leaping high into the air trailing streamers of fire like a burning comet as it flung itself at Samson. The tropius barrel rolled, tucking its leafy wings in close to avoid getting singed as it corkscrewed away, dodging the fiery attack.

As the infernape landed, Samson had already looped around, diving in for a counterattack. The infernape turned just in time to see Samson swoop down, flinging another blade of air down upon it. Unable to react in time, it took the full brunt of the aerial attack which sent it tumbling once again. This time, it did not get back up.

Ryan saw Mila turn to the young man beside her, pointing animatedly at the tropius now spiralling toward the battle between Trace and the Scyther.

"Scyther, break off and go after the tropius," Mila's partner shouted. "Blast it with a Wing Attack!"

The scyther halted its attack on Trace in mid-swing, peeling off and taking to the air in a buzzing of its insectoid wings. With explosive speed, it gained altitude above Stacy's tropius who was quickly closing in. It took aim, furiously whipping its wings with an audible droning that rose in a rapid crescendo of volume and pitch until, with a violent forward snap of its wings, it hurled the gathered air outward in a rippling pressure wave. The blast struck Samson squarely on the side, crumpling two of his wings and sending him plummeting downward.

At the last second, Samson flared his injured wings just enough to manage a rough landing, but the attack had taken its toll. He was now favoring his left side and his two left wings hung limply - useless for flying or attacking. Samson, still dazed, looked up and saw the scyther diving straight toward him, blades cocked for a follow-through attack.

"Trace, Ice Beam!" Ryan shouted.

A blue beam of energy lanced up into the air from Ryan's porygon, striking the scyther in mid-dive. The scyther cried out in shock, now falling instead of diving, its wings motionless and rimed with frost. Samson sidestepped the plummeting scyther as it crashed to the ground, its body locked rigid under a crust of ice.

Mila and her partner withdrew their infernape and scyther, both having been called down, and sent out their next pokemon. Mila's combatant was a yellow lizard with orange stripes and a pointed, orange frill around its neck. Its partner emerged from its poké ball in a shadowy haze, floating forward to reveal the form of a large, coal-black doll with glowing red eyes and a spiky head. Its lips pulled back in un unsettling grin, revealing a metal zipper where its teeth should be.

"That heliolisk is going to be trouble for Samson," Ryan observed. He shot another glance at the doll pokemon who, even across the field, seemed to sense his attention, meeting his eyes and grinning wider. "And that banette is creeping me right the hell out."

"Don't count Samson out just yet," Stacy said, "and I'd worry more about Trace, if I were you. His best attacks will have absolutely no effect on ghost pokemon."

"So what do you suggest?" Ryan asked.

"We send our pokemon in tight formation so they can't tell who we're targeting. We might be able to take them by surprise that way."

Ryan agreed and they sent Samson and Trace forward, each sticking close to the other as they made their way toward their opponents. The heliolisk and banette also advanced, though warily. The spectators cheered on as the two sides slowly closed in on each other.

"Pick your target," Stacy said to Ryan. "I'll follow your lead."

Ryan nodded. "Okay, Trace, Psybeam on the Banette!"

Before Stacy could issue her command, Mila yelled, "Okay guys, flash and smash!"

The heliolisk hunkered down, its frill puffing outward into a broad disk from which it shot a blinding strobe of light toward Trace. Though it seemed to do no damage, the porygon paused, shaking its head in a daze, its attack faltering. Without hesitation, the doll-like banette whisked forward, clobbering the stunned Trace with a haymaker to the side of his angular head, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Ryan blinked in surprise at the sudden turnabout as the referee called his pokemon down.

"A Flash and Sucker Punch combo," Stacy said. "I told you she was good. Now get your next pokemon out quick before they gang up on Samson."

Ryan retrieved Trace back into his poké ball as Stacy ordered Samson to use a Stomp attack on the heliolisk. Ryan picked up Cutter's poké ball and hurled it as hard as he could in order to get his pokemon as close to the action as possible. After sailing an impressive distance, the ball released Cutter in a flash of light a short distance from where the heliolisk was skittering between Samson's stomping feet which had thus far failed to connect.

"Cutter, get in there and Psycho Cut that ghost!" Ryan ordered.

Cutter quickly surveyed the battle then rushed forward, his arm blades shimmering with a faint pink glow. The banette waited almost nonchalantly for Cutter to close in. As the gallade came within striking distance, the banette raised a long, boneless arm high, but at the last moment, swiped low under Cutter's guard.

The ghost's grin of triumph faded when its blow stopped short, blocked by Cutter's downward-crossed arms. With a quick spin, the gallade slashed the banette in its exposed side. The banette drew back with an angry chattering cry - a sound like bones rattling in a tin can.

Ryan chuckled. "Cutter won't fall for cheap tricks like that, you creepy bastard," he muttered.

"Heliolisk, Charge Beam!" Mila commanded, and the yellow lizard scampered back, puffing its frill out again. Electricity danced along the points of the frill, building into a thick blue ring of arcing energy. A moment later, the ring of electricity collapsed into the heliolisk's neck and it opened its mouth, spitting the accumulated charge in a beam that scorched the battered tropius' leafy body. Samson stumbled back a step then collapsed to the ground.

Stacy retrieved her downed pokemon and grimaced. "Down to my last one," she said, picking up her final poké ball. Hurling it, she cried, "Go get 'em, Dredge!"

The krookodile wasted no time as it burst forth, running toward the fray where both the heliolisk and the banette were lining up attacks on Cutter.

"Banette, Shadow Sneak!" its trainer ordered, and the ghost pokemon spread its arms wide, its shadow stretching and splitting into multiple projections of itself. Cutter backed away, eyeing the dark shapes that slid ominously along the ground toward him. Suddenly, one of the shadows' arms detached from the ground and swiped at Cutter who ducked out of the way just as a second shadow reached up and struck him from behind.

Meanwhile, Mila's heliolisk charged up again, using some of the energy still looping through its frill from the previous attack to build up an even bigger and brighter ring of electricity. Once again, it drew the power in and spat it out in a jagged beam even more intense than the first. Cutter, distracted by the banette, saw the attack too late. The beam connected with an explosion of light and a crackling sizzle that Ryan could hear even above the surging roar of the crowd.

And then, Ryan smiled.

Cutter straightened, untouched by the lance of electricity that had instead struck Stacy's krookodile who now stood in front of the gallade, arms outstretched, unfazed by the electrical attack he had harmlessly absorbed. The heliolisk hissed in indignation.

"Now its time for some teamwork of our own," Stacy said. "Ready?"

"Absolutely," Ryan replied.

"Dredge, alley oop!" Stacy shouted.

Stacy's and Ryan's pokemon nodded to each other, then Cutter ran straight toward Dredge who hunkered down with his hands cupped in front of him. When Cutter reached him, the krookodile boosted the gallade high into the air then immediately slammed his tail down, sending a jolt through the ground in an Earthquake attack.

The seismic shock wave slammed the heliolisk, throwing it from its feet to land roughly on its back. The banette was also rocked by the wave of earth which knocked it to the ground but it was only momentarily stunned. It quickly began pushing itself upright, but as it did, it saw Ryan's gallade descending through the air toward it, blades raised high.

"Cutter, Night Slash!" Ryan shouted.

Cutter fell upon the banette, slashing down with blades wreathed in a dark nimbus, driving his attack home with the full momentum of his descent in a single, crushing blow.

Neither the heliolisk nor the banette rose.

The stands erupted with cheers at the spectacular double KO, many of the spectators rising to their feet as Mila and her partner retrieved their fallen pokemon.

Ryan looked up at the scoreboard and saw that each of their opponents only had one poké ball icon left next to their names. "Only two more to go. Cue the fat lady."

"Don't get overconfident," Stacy admonished. "This match isn't over yet and anything can happen."

With a powerful pitch, Mila sent out her final pokemon deep into the field. The enormous creature that emerged from the poké ball dwarfed its opponents, standing over seven feet tall. A thick coat of white fur covered its wide, vaguely ape-like frame except for its verdant hands and feet. Streamers of frosty air cascaded visibly down along its body, spreading out along the ground at its feet. It threw its head back and bellowed a low-pitched howl that echoed across the coliseum, reverberating in Ryan's chest. With a whoosh, the frosty air around it whipped up into vortex of snow and ice. Seeing an abomasnow for the first time in person, Ryan concluded that its name was well-earned. Amid the display, Ryan almost missed the appearance of the pokemon Mila's partner sent out. The bladed tail and long, crimson fangs marked the large, dark purple snake as a seviper.

Stacy bit her lip. "Not good. Dredge won't last long against an abomasnow. You take care of that one while I try to lure the seviper away from its partner."

Ryan ordered Cutter forward toward the frost-wrapped abomasnow while Stacy sent Dredge off to the side to threaten the red-fanged seviper.

At the same time, Mila and her partner were directing their pokemon as well. A series of rapid-fire instructions sent the seviper darting across to intercept Ryan's gallade while the abomasnow kept behind its partner, maintaining a precise distance. Cutter tried to dodge around his opponent, but no matter which way he went, he couldn't get past the reach of the seviper's long, sinuous body and its lashing, bladed tail.

"Alright, Seviper, stick and move with Poison Jab!" Mila's partner exclaimed.

Once again, the seviper lashed out with its tail blade. Cutter blocked the strike with his own arm blades but didn't see that the seviper had curled its head around behind him at the same time. With a lightning-quick lunge, the snake pokemon pierced Cutter's back with its fangs. The gallade staggered forward from the force of the strike, twin rivulets of purple venom dripping from the puncture wounds in his back. Cutter, now moving more stiffly, brought his blades up defensively, but the seviper, instead of continuing its attack, slithered back away.

"Now, Abomasnow, Blizzard!" Mila shouted.

The white-furred behemoth stepped forward, lining itself up with Cutter and Dredge. It sucked in a long breath then blew it out in a mighty gale of ice and wind which swept across the field, engulfing both Cutter and Dredge in its blast. Cutter, though closer to the source of the Blizzard, recovered quickly from the attack despite his injury, but Dredge, driven to his knees, rose slowly, much of his body encrusted with frost.

Ryan's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Damn, these guys are tough."

"Keep the seviper from closing off its partner." Stacy said. "I'm going to hit that abomasnow before it takes us both out." She pointed to the snowy giant and yelled, "Dredge, Crunch!"

"Okay, Cutter," Ryan called, "hit that snake with a Psycho Cut!"

Cutter advanced on the seviper, moving in before it could resume its position in front of its partner. The seviper slashed down with its tail blade at Cutter, which he parried with one arm blade, slashing in with his other, carving a line in the seviper's scaly hide. The seviper drew back from the strike with a hiss.

Behind him, Dredge shook off the rime of ice clinging to his body with a growl, then charged in on the now exposed abomasnow. The enraged krookodile dove at his opponent, jaws gaping, and buried his teeth into the arm it held up to ward him off. The abomasnow howled in pain as it tried to shake off the krookodile whose jaws held fast, even as the hail swirling around it pummeled the krookodile's body.

"Abomasnow, scrape him off with an Ice Punch!" Mila commanded.

The abomasnow cocked back with its free hand, balling it into as fist, a thick sheath of ice quickly forming around it, then slammed it into the krookodile. The ice shattered against Dredge's head in a crystalline explosion that sent him sailing through the air. The krookodile tumbled limply for a few feet when it hit the ground, finally coming to rest in a motionless heap.

"Seviper, Venoshock!" its trainer shouted.

The seviper, curled defensively around the cut in its hide, suddenly uncoiled, spitting a greenish liquid that splattered thickly against Cutter's body. The gallade flinched back and scraped frantically at the sticky liquid with his hands, trying to wipe the fluid away, but succeeded only in smearing it around further. Within seconds, his movements began to slow. A few seconds later, his arms fell to his side and he collapsed to the ground.

"Down!" the referee called, pointing at Stacy's and Ryan's fallen pokemon.

Ryan blinked in disbelief. "What the hell?"

"A venoshock is a binary poison some pokemon have. By itself it only stings, but when used on a pokemon that already has poison in its system, the two venoms coreact to devastating effect." She nodded toward Cutter, "You'd better get him off the field."

Ryan held up Cutter's poké ball, flashing its retrieval beam upon the gallade's motionless form. No sooner did the poké ball close back around its occupant than a young woman in event uniform appeared at his side, taking the ball from his hand.

"Wait, what's she doing?" Ryan asked Stacy as the woman rushed down the tunnel behind them.

"She's taking Cutter to the aid station. It's standard procedure when a pokemon gets poisoned, especially if they're unconscious." She looked at the abomasnow and seviper which, though not untouched, still stood strong and held the field. "I'm out of pokemon, Ryan. It's going to be two on one and you know how tough they are." She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You've done your part. I won't ask you to send your last pokemon in for a beating on principle."

"I didn't come here just to quit," Ryan said with a slight edge to his voice. "Besides, I've been outnumbered before and Buster's tougher than you think." Ryan picked up his final poké ball and heaved it onto the field.

With a burst of light, Ryan's metalleon shot forth from his poké ball, materializing on the field with a loud, piercing cry. In the stands, the spectators erupted in a thunderous round of cheers.

Before Ryan could issue a command, he heard Mila's partner shout, "Seviper, Poison Jab!"

Without hesitation, the serpentine pokemon slithered forward and lashed out with a lightning-quick strike.

With a ringing _clang_ , its fangs bounced harmlessly off the metalleon's armored body, drawing not so much as a flinch from its target.

Ryan's face split in a wolfish grin. "Alright, Buster. Let's show them what you can do." He thrust a finger at the seviper. "Metal Claw!"

Buster leapt at the seviper, who was still shaking off the recoil of its failed attack, and slashed a metal-tipped forepaw across its face, knocking its head askew. Behind him, as he landed squarely on all fours, the seviper went limp, falling like a garden hose casually tossed aside, smacking against the ground with a single thump.

"Down!" the referee shouted, and the cheers from the crowd surged yet again.

"Abomasnow, Blizzard!" Mila commanded, and her pokemon responded with another snowy gale directed at Buster.

The metalleon hunkered down against the frigid blast which swept smoothly over his body. After it passed, Buster straightened, shaking off the scant frost that clung to his gray, metallic coat.

"Buster, Pin Missile!" Ryan shouted.

Buster raised his tail and, with a flick, its smooth contours blossomed out into a jagged bouquet of metal spikes. Buster whipped his tail around, flinging a barrage of spikes at the abomasnow, pincushioning its body and the arms it held up in defense, driving it backward several steps.

"Wood Hammer, Abomasnow," Mila shouted. "Smash it into the ground!"

"Let's finish this, Buster," Ryan called. "Gyro Ball!"

With another piercing cry, Buster charged forward toward the abomasnow who, with a bass howl of its own, lumbered forward to meet him. The distance between the two pokemon diminished rapidly as they rushed toward one another, the abomasnow raising a massive arm high as the metalleon dashed in low. As they closed to striking distance, Buster leapt, curling his body into a ball as the abomasnow brought its massive arm crashing down. The hammer-blow landed a fraction of a second too late as Buster sailed past, driving into the abomasnow with the force of a cannonball. The impact threw the abomasnow's upper body backward, its arms flung out wide. Tipping over on its heels, the mighty abomasnow fell to the ground with a mighty crash. Buster, having rebounded off the abomasnow's massive body, uncurled himself and sprang back to his feet.

The referee's whistle cut through the roaring of the fans, many of whom were now on their feet. "White team wins the match!" the referee called.

Buster ran back to Ryan, gamboling around him in circles before hopping up, planting his front paws on Ryan's chest, yipping joyfully.

"Alright, alright, easy now," Ryan said, giving Buster a hearty scratch with both hands. "You did great, now take it down a notch."

"I have to say, I'm impressed with Buster's performance," Stacy said. "And yours, as well."

"I'll admit, things got a bit dicey at the end, but we made it through just fine."

"Just remember, the next round's the semifinal and the competition's only going to get tougher." Stacy nodded toward the tunnel. "Come on, let's get back to the aid station. We need to check on Cutter and get our pokemon ready for the next match."

And with that, Ryan, Stacy and Buster disappeared back into the tunnel, the sound of the cheering crowd echoing behind them.


	9. Showtime, Part 2

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Showtime - Part 2**

In a small office crowded with a chaotic jumble of papers, computers and an occasional half-empty box of medical supplies, Serena Crane leaned back in a swivel chair, a phone held to her ear.

"I hope you have news for me regarding the asset you were supposed to acquire?" the male voice on the other end asked.

"Indeed I do, Mister Vanderburg," Miss Crane said. "The asset has been secured and is on its way to the central facility as we speak."

"Good news indeed," Mister Vanderburg said. "Did you find the special poké ball difficult to use?"

"I couldn't tell you, actually. I was operating the spatial anchor during the capture. I had one of our Project Prometheus personnel use the ball."

"Is that so?" Mister Vanderburg asked after a brief pause. "You weren't, perhaps, afraid of facing the asset's anger should the ball fail?"

Serena Crane pushed aside a strand of her vividly red hair that had fallen across her face and sighed. "Such a low opinion you have of me, Mister Vanderburg. The anchor did, in fact, require my personal attention to ensure capture of the asset. Besides, I thought it fitting that the leader of the team that obtained the jewel fragment that made this endeavor possible should have the honor of making the final capture."

"Be that as it may, you should know that I am very pleased at your success." Mister Vanderburg paused before continuing in a more grave tone, "What I am not pleased with is the current state of the Prometheus technology. I assume you are familiar with the flaw in the devices that was revealed during the break-in of our Angel City research facility?"

Her brow pulled down in irritation. Of course she was familiar with the flaw. She'd probably gone over the surveillance video more times than he had. "Yes, Mister Vanderburg, it appears that powerful psychic energy directed at the devices interferes with the interface and prevents their use."

"It is imperative that you correct this flaw as soon as possible, Miss Crane. We cannot proceed further until Project Prometheus is perfected."

Her delicate lips bent into a fox's smile. "Don't worry. I already have an expedient solution in mind."

# # #

The League veterinarian touched the controls on the bio-reactor and the glow of healing energy enveloping Cutter's reclining form faded out. After the vet retracted the armatures, Cutter hopped to his feet.

"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked.

Cutter stretched his limbs and smiled. _Good as new. You know, Doctor Lynd should really look into getting one of these. I feel great!_

"You sure? You took a pretty nasty dose of venom in that last fight."

 _Don't worry, I'm good_. Cutter looked around and saw Stacy sitting near her three pokemon who were still lying in bio-reactors. _Did we lose?_

"Nope. Buster really came through and brought home the win for us, even though it was two on one against him."

Cutter's face perked up. _Really? That's great! It's too bad I missed it, though._

"Don't worry, I'm sure Doctor Lynd is recording the broadcast. Right now we need to focus on the next match." Ryan paused in thought. "I think we need to expand our tactics. You said the NuGen guys had you memorize all the Technical Machine techniques right? I think we're going to need to start dipping into that bag of tricks."

 _Yes, but I hope you remember me telling you that I was bred for mental acuity, not power and that my species is not known for inner power to begin with. As a result, I just can't pull off a lot of the things I know. For example, I know how to Teleport but the most I could probably manage is getting from the bedroom to the kitchen._

"Don't be so quick to discount your abilities. Even little things like that can be useful. Besides, I can tell you from personal experience that you'd be surprised what you're capable of when the pressure's on."

A soft beeping tone from the nearest bio-reactor brought the attention of another veterinarian who checked the machine, then began removing Stacy's pokemon from it.

"How's the crew?" Ryan asked Stacy.

She smiled, giving her krookodile a hearty scratch on the neck. "Ready to rock."

"I hope so," Ryan said, "because we barely won our last match. By the way, do you know anything about our next opponent?"

Stacy nodded. "According to the bracket, the team we'll be facing is led by Roland St. Clair. He's originally from Jamaica but now lives in Unova. He battles in team competitions primarily, so he's got a good head for tactics. His go-to pokemon is a pyroar named Pasha that he caught on a safari in Africa. He'll probably lead with it, so we should plan our starters accordingly. Don't know much about his amateur partner. Girl from Kalos, that's all I know. Still, don't underestimate her."

"Will do," Ryan replied.

Ryan and Stacy turned as a Pokemon League official carrying an electronic tablet approached the two of them. "Lynd, Meadows, you're up."

# # #

Upon being announced, Ryan and Stacy stepped back onto the competition field, the crowd cheering their arrival. They took their places behind the trainers' table in the white end zone, transferring their poké balls onto it.

Ryan turned his eyes across the field to the dark-skinned man who was leaning against his table with a look of casual ease, holding one of his poké balls appraisingly before him. He looked to be in his mid twenties and wore his thick bundle of dreadlocks tied back into a queue. The girl at his side - mid to late teens by the look of her - had long, light brown hair that contrasted starkly with the bright pink shirt she wore. Even at this distance, Ryan could see the confidence in her stance and the cocky grin on her face.

Stacy said, "I'm going to start with Dredge in case Roland leads with his pyroar. You should probably start with someone versatile, maybe Trace?"

"Just what I was thinking," Ryan replied.

"Red team, ready!" the referee shouted.

Stacy gave Ryan a nod and a smile as their opponents lifted their poké balls into the air.

"White team ready!"

Ryan picked up Trace's poké ball and lifted it into the air as Stacy did the same for hers.

The referee brought his hands together, blowing his whistle, and the competitors hurled their poké balls onto the field. Trace burst out of his poké ball with a pop and a flash, joined by Stacy's krookodile, Dredge. Across the field, the opposing team's pokemon appeared on the field. Stacy's prediction turned out to be correct with the emergence of a distinctly leonine pokemon from Roland's poké ball, the long red and orange mane streaming from the top of its head marking it as a female pyroar. It was joined by a green, upright-walking lizard pokemon with twin rows of yellow pods running down its back and a thick, leafy tail. The long, thin leaves on its arms whistled as it took a few swipes at the air.

"Looks like we caught a break on the opening match-up," Stacy said. "I'll have Dredge take the pyroar. The sceptile's yours."

She began directing her krookodile forward when something about the way Roland's fire-type pokemon was moving - quickly ahead and to one side - tickled the back of her mind. The moment it took for Stacy to work it out was enough for the pyroar to spring its trap. A torrent of flame shot from its sharp-toothed maw, cutting a diagonal swath along the ground between Trace and Dredge and leaving a wall of fire in its wake.

"Dammit! I can't believe I didn't see that coming," Stacy said through gritted teeth. The flames separating Trace and Dredge wouldn't last long, but it wouldn't matter. Her krookodile was momentarily trapped with the opponents' sceptile who would make short work of her pokemon if she didn't act quickly. "Dredge, fall back!" she shouted. "Keep your distance from the sceptile!"

"Keep bringing the heat, Pasha!" Roland shouted. "Flamethrower!"

"Don't let him get away," Roland's partner called. "Get in close with Leaf Blade!"

The pyroar unleashed another fiery torrent that turned the surrounding air into a shimmering blur, catching Ryan's porygon with a glancing blow that nonetheless scorched its faceted body. Meanwhile, the leafy sceptile dashed forward, easily following Dredge despite his best efforts at evasion and slashed in with the sharp leaves on its arms, raking parallel lines across the krookodile's chest.

"Thunderbolt, Trace!" Ryan shouted. "Don't let that cat run roughshod over you!"

The porygon quickly charged up a bolt of electricity and fired it off from its feet, missing the pyroar but interrupting its attack and forcing it to take a defensive posture for the moment.

Stacy watched the sceptile's attacks coming in fast and hard which forced it to take a second to stop and reverse its momentum after each attack before driving back in with powerful swipes of its leaf blades. The delay was noticeable, but not quite enough for what she had in mind and Dredge was starting to wear down. "Dredge, your opponent's coming in strong. Watch the timing and turn the tables!"

As the sceptile drove back in, the krookodile was ready. Having gauged his opponent's speed, he waited until the last moment then sidestepped, grabbing the sceptile's arm and heaving it forward. Thrown off balance and having its already considerable forward momentum increased, the sceptile tumbled forward to the ground.

"Now, Dig!" Stacy commanded.

Before the sceptile could get back up, Dredge began clawing at the turf, sending up huge chunks of earth as it burrowed into the ground. The sceptile rolled back to its feet and charged Stacy's krookodile, swiping a leafy arm at his tail, just missing him as he disappeared below the ground.

Stacy sighed in relief at Dredge's narrow escape, but Trace wasn't faring nearly as well. The fiery wall separating the combatants had now subsided to the point that it was no longer an effective barrier. With no one to oppose it, and without the wall of fire to impede it, the sceptile's trainer ordered it to focus on Ryan's porygon.

"This isn't good," Ryan said to Stacy, noting the impending double-up. "Trace has some good attacks for the sceptile, but if he takes his eyes off the pyroar, it'll roast him."

"It's okay," Stacy replied. "Just keep calm and do like we practiced."

"Stay low, Trace," Ryan called. "Get ready to bump and run."

The sceptile hopped over the guttering flames on the field, making its way carefully toward Trace but keeping a short distance back while the pyroar stalked forward, slowly at first, but quickening its pace as it neared.

"He's yours, Pasha. Fire Fang!" Roland commanded.

The pyroar bounded forward then pounced, the flames erupting within its powerful jaws trailing glowing embers as it sailed through the air.

"Now, Trace!" Ryan shouted.

Trace, hovering only a foot off the ground, dropped with a thump. The pyroar was a skilled predator, however, and adjusted its body in mid flight, reaching out with its clawed paws so as to snatch its prey into its fiery maw...

...but then, the ground in front of Trace exploded in a shower of dirt as Dredge burst forth from beneath the field, slamming into the pyroar's belly from underneath and knocking it sideways through the air. It came down in an uncontrolled tumble, rolling along the ground before coming to a stop on its side.

Not waiting to see if the fiery pokemon got back up, Ryan shouted "Conversion protocol one, Trace! Match to Ice Beam and fire on the sceptile!"

The porygon's body shifted color to a combination of light blue and white, then without missing a beat, Trace swiveled toward the sceptile which was briefly distracted at the sudden incapacitation of its partner, and shot an ice-blue beam from the tip of its beak. The sceptile tried too late to dodge and the beam struck home, driving a pained hiss from the sceptile as it went down with half its body rimed in frost.

"Down!" the referee called out. Ryan was relieved to see that the pyroar had not risen as both of the opponent's pokemon were recalled.

Roland and his partner were quick to send out their next pokemon. From Roland's poké ball, a tall, spiky, reptilian pokemon that stood over six and a half feet tall emerged onto the field. Its olive-green hide was slashed with dark vents along its front. His partner sent out a shorter, weasel-like pokemon with brown fur, twin tails and a yellow tubular sac that ringed its back. Ryan recognized both as a tyranitar and a floatzel.

"I suggest we both sub out," Stacy said. "Those two are more than a match for Trace and Dredge."

"A double sub? Isn't that a bit risky?" Ryan asked.

"Not as risky as leaving our pokemon in," Stacy replied.

Ryan nodded and both of them hit their buttons on the table in front of them, lighting up both halves simultaneously.

"Double substitution, white!" The referee called.

They quickly recalled their pokemon and, after briefly conferring, Ryan's metalleon, Buster, joined Stacy's tropius, Samson, on the field.

No sooner had their pokemon finished materializing from their poké balls than their opponents' table lit up on both sides as well.

"Double substitution, red!" the referee called out.

"I told you this was risky," Ryan said as their opponents' pokemon were recalled back into their respective poké balls. In their place, a round-bellied rabbit pokemon with dirty brown fur and large, broad ears and a metallic, saucer-shaped pokemon with a single, large eye and a trio of magnet appendages took the field. "And is that a lopunny and..." Ryan trailed off, unable to place the metallic pokemon.

"No, that's a diggersby and a magnezone," Stacy responded, "and it's as much a risk for them as for us. They have the upper hand for the moment, but now they have no subs either. If we can weather the storm, the advantage will swing back to us."

The girl at Roland's side shouted, "Diggersby, Dig down!"

In response, the diggersby began burrowing into ground using its large, powerful ears. Within seconds, it had completely disappeared below the field.

"We're going to have a hard time cracking that steel pokemon with what we have on the field," Ryan said, nodding toward the magnezone.

"I know, but we need to keep the pressure on." Stacy turned to her pokemon on the field and shouted, "Samson, Air Slash!"

Ryan shook his head but quickly followed suit. "Buster, Metal Claw!"

Stacy's tropius wheeled around, flinging a blade of air at the magnezone with a snap of its wings which impacted with an unimpressive metallic ping. At the same time, Buster charged in, his metal-infused claws scraping across the magnezone's saucer-like body with high-pitched squeal. The magnezone hovered back away from its attackers, seemingly unperturbed by the attacks which barely marred its steel surface.

"Take aim at the flyer, Magnezone," Roland called. "Zap Cannon!"

"Climb away, Samson. Evade!" Stacy called out

Electricity danced around the magnezone's front magnets as they begin to spin, a crackling ball of blue plasma coalescing between them. The magnezone held the flickering ball of electricity before it, tracking the tropius' flight high into the air. And then its spinning magnets suddenly stopped, pointing straight toward its target. The plasma ball shot forward - a miniature sun that flew hissing and writhing through the air - and slammed into Samson with a burst of light and a great sizzling crack.

With a low wail of pain, Samson's flight turned into a freefall. The crowd's raucous cheers at the spectacular attack turned into gasps of shock and dismay as the tropius tumbled limply toward the ground.

"Pull up, Samson!" Stacy shouted. As the tropius continued plummeting down with increasing speed, she quickly grabbed for his poké ball, but in her haste, it fumbled from her grip and rolled to the ground.

Ryan was about to dive for the skittering ball himself, but a glance toward Stacy's pokemon streaking toward the ground made him realize it was already too late.

The crowd fell silent. Ryan closed his eyes and turned away.

Bad enough to hear the awful sound - a wet smack of flesh and... blood? ...sap? ...or...

Why hadn't it made a sound? The roar of the crowd erupting in cheers made Ryan look toward the point of impact and saw instead, to his amazement, Samson hanging barely a foot above the ground, suspended by some unseen force.

Next to the referee, the League Mr. Mime was down on one knee, its arms outstretched and quivering from exertion. It slowly lowered its hands and Samson floated gently to the ground.

"Down!" the referee shouted.

Stacy, kneeling next to the trainers' table with the errant poké ball in hand, exhaled a quivering breath then retrieved her fallen pokemon. With its occupant safely back inside, she hugged the red and white sphere to her chest before putting it away.

With a sense of relief, Ryan refocused on the field. The battle was far from over and he'd allowed himself to be distracted too long already. "Alright, Buster. Just keep at him and..."

A great brown fist burst up from the ground below Buster, cracking him squarely on the jaw and flinging him backward. Ryan saw that the fist was actually the end of a long ear that belonged to the diggersby that was now emerging from underground. The great rotund rabbit pokemon quickly shook the dirt from its fur and advanced on Buster who was trying to regain his feet but only managing to rise halfway on wobbly legs. The diggersby rushed in and lashed out at the floundering metalleon with a flurry of kicks with its powerful legs but they failed to connect, instead striking an invisible barrier.

"Down!" the referee called, pointing at Buster who was still vainly trying to rise, while the Mr. Mime at the referee's side had its hands spread out in a flat plane in front of it. The referee then pointed a yellow flag at the diggersby. "Warning, red team!"

"What just happened?" Ryan asked as he retrieved Buster.

"One, that diggersby is very strong," Stacy replied. "And two, the other team just got yellow flagged for attacking a downed pokemon. If they commit another foul, they'll probably get red flagged and disqualified."

After selecting their next pokemon, Ryan and Stacy hurled their poké balls onto the field. Stacy's krookodile returned to the match while Ryan, deciding to go with a fresh combatant, chose Cutter.

Roland and his partner quickly conferred then issued their commands to their pokemon.

"Magnet Rise, Magnezone!"

"Diggersby, Earthquake!"

With a low hum, the magnezone levitated up into the air while the diggersby clenched its ears into fists and brought them both slamming down against the ground. The turf heaved and rippled out in all directions from the point of impact, the shock wave slamming Dredge with chunks of dirt and knocking Cutter on his back. The crowd roared once more in response to the spectacular attack and teamwork.

Ryan cupped his hands to his mouth to shout over the din of the spectators, "Time for that trip to the kitchen, Cutter. Leaf Blade on the diggersby!"

Cutter hopped to his feet and hunkered down, ready to spring. Instead of running forward he paused and then...

...disappeared.

In an instant, Cutter reappeared mere inches in front of the startled diggersby. He lashed out with a rising diagonal slash of an arm blade shrouded in glowing green energy, knocking the rabbit pokemon backward several steps.

Dredge was still extracting himself from the broken earth when Roland shouted, "Mirror Shot, Magnezone!"

From its high vantage, the magnezone's reflective body began to shimmer with a luminous sheen. The gathering light then slid toward the front of its body, pouring into its large, cyclopean eye which it turned upon Dredge. With a flash, the magnezone fired the gathered energy in a searing beam down at the krookodile. The beam struck just as Dredge dove away, drilling into the ground where the krookodile had stood only a moment before.

"Bounce, Diggersby!" the girl at Roland's side shouted.

The diggersby hopped back from Cutter's flashing blades then leapt high into the air. At the apex of its leap it pivoted and spun, coming down headfirst, its long ears trailing backward. Cutter watched its descent, shuffling backward, but just before it landed, the diggersby flung its ears wide, catching Cutter off-guard with a powerful blow.

Meanwhile, the magnezone continued its assault, shooting beams of light from its eye down at Stacy's krookodile who could only evade in response.

Stacy looked over at Ryan and said, "We're going to have to focus on these guys one at a time or they're going to pick us apart."

"Yeah, I can see that," Ryan said. "So how are we doing this?"

"We take the magnezone first. I can set him up for you, but you've got to take him down quick, okay?"

"You got it," Ryan said. He turned back to his pokemon on the field. "Cutter, eyes high!"

"Dredge, time for a little Foul Play!" Stacy shouted to her krookodile.

In response, Dredge stopped and turned on the high-floating magnezone, spitting a dark glob of energy at it. The inky ball flew through the air and struck its target, enveloping the steel pokemon in a dark haze which slowly expanded then suddenly imploded around it, striking a reverberating metallic note against its body and knocking it to the ground.

The magnezone quickly recovered from the attack, which again had left little damage upon its armored exterior, but Cutter was already charging toward it, having followed it down.

"Close Combat!" Ryan shouted.

Cutter took a running jump and landed on the magnezone's saucer-like body, driving a fist downward with all his weight behind it. The blow struck like a sledgehammer, smashing the magnezone into the turf with a ringing metallic peal and leaving a large, crumpled dent in its upper dome.

The diggersby was still in the fight, though, and was bounding across the field in hot pursuit. It sprang forward and pummeled Dredge with a flurry of rapid kicks. Dredge reeled back from assault but the scrappy pokemon managed to keep on his feet.

"Good job, Diggersby," Roland's partner called. "Keep using Double Kick!"

"One more time, Ryan," Stacy said. "Catch him, Dredge!" she called to her krookodile.

The diggersby sprang in again with another agile kick but Dredge dodged aside and clamped his jaws down upon the rabbit pokemon's leg, keeping it from bouncing away.

Even before Ryan had finished yelling, "Brick Break!" Cutter was already in motion. The diggersby struggled mightily against the krookodile's powerful grip but Cutter's sharp overhand strike stilled it in one stroke.

The referee pointed to the motionless magnezone and diggersby. "Down!"

"Good teamwork, Ryan," Stacy said with a smile. "We're back in the fight."

"More or less," Ryan replied, casting an eye toward his gallade who was stood hunched forward, catching his breath. "Cutter's taken a beating and Trace isn't much better off."

"Yes, but we know they only have a tyranitar and a floatzel left and Freya is still fresh. If we fight smart, we can still win."

Their opponents, having recalled their downed pokemon, sent back out the tyranitar and floatzel they had previously substituted out.

"Cutter, front and center!" Ryan called. "The floatzel's yours. Don't let it get by you!"

Cutter nodded and moved forward to challenge his aquatic opponent. Behind the floatzel, the tyranitar straightened to its full, towering height. Streams of sand began to flow from the vents on its body and began to swirl around it in a driving haze.

"Take the krookodile, Floatzel!" Roland's partner called out.

 _Not likely_ , Ryan thought with a smile as Cutter extended his blades, readying himself for an intercepting attack.

"Aqua Jet!" the girl shouted.

The floatzel's twin tails spun into a blur, a jet of water blasting back from them and propelling it forward at blinding speed. It streaked past Cutter before he could even take a swipe at it, arrowing toward Dredge behind him. At the last moment, the floatzel reversed his direction, turning the water jet upon Stacy's krookodile and blasting it backward. Dredge skidded along the turf, now made water-slick by the floatzel's attack, and came to rest curled on his side in a puddle of mud and grass.

"Dark Pulse!" Roland shouted from the far end of the field.

Cutter looked back toward the tyranitar just as its jaws opened, expelling a huge rippling orb of dark energy. The pulse slammed into Cutter with an explosion of shadowy fire that blasted him off his feet. From his end of the field, Ryan could hear the impact when Cutter's back hit the ground.

"Down!" the referee called yet again, this time pointing to both his and Stacy's pokemon.

As they recovered their pokemon, Stacy glanced over at Ryan, whose face was darkening into a scowl. "Take the floatzel," she said. "I know Trace can do it. I know you can do it, too."

"Yeah." Ryan's features softened slightly at her words. "Gotta stay focused."

Ryan and Stacy threw their last poké balls onto the field, releasing Ryan's porygon, Trace, and Stacy's empoleon, Freya.

"Trace, Tri Attack on the floatzel!" Ryan shouted.

Before the floatzel could decide which of the two newcomers it would need to focus its attention on, Trace zeroed in on its target. Triple beams of red, blue and yellow issued from the porygon's feet and forehead, twisting into a single stream of energy that spiralled out at the floatzel, striking it squarely on its side. The aquatic pokemon gamely took the hit but arcs of residual electrical energy briefly danced along the side of its body where it was struck and its movements now seemed halting and stiff.

"The big one's yours, Freya," Stacy shouted. "Steel Wing!"

Freya charged the enormous tyranitar, ducking under a swipe of its claws as she came within striking distance. The sand whipping around the hulking tyranitar beat against Freya's hide as she moved in close, but the stinging wind left no mark upon her. She slashed in with her own steel-bladed wing in return but the tyranitar proved surprisingly nimble for its size, dodging the blow and swinging its tail around in a counterattack. Freya brought her wings up, blocking the mighty tail strike and parrying the follow-through claw swipe that sent sparks flying as it skidded along the metallic edge of her wing. With a quick sidestep, she lashed out with a spinning horizontal strike of a steel-edged wing, carving a line in the tyranitar's thick hide.

"Hang in there, Floatzel!" the girl at Roland's side called out. "Blast that porygon with Hydro Pump!"

The floatzel, still favoring its side, drew itself upright and spewed a powerful stream of water from its mouth, blasting Trace and driving it tumbling back. The porygon managed to right itself but now it floated low and slightly askew, one angular foot dipping to the ground. The floatzel began advancing on the wounded porygon but it abruptly halted, dropping to a knee and holding its side again as one of its legs appeared to lose all strength.

"The floatzel is still paralyzed from Trace's attack," Stacy said to Ryan. "Now's your chance!"

"Alright, Trace," Ryan called to his porygon, "Execute Conversion protocol one. Match Thunderbolt and attack!"

Once again, the porygon's faceted body shifted in color, changing to a combination of yellow and blue. With an effort, Trace tilted level again and electricity began to spark along its legs. The electricity quickly built in intensity, each increasingly bright pulsation punctuated by a rough, sharp buzz of exertion. Then, with a shrill electronic cry, the porygon fired the accumulated power in a crackling bolt of lightning. The floatzel, still struggling to move, could only cry out in dismay and throw up an arm in feeble defense as the Thunderbolt struck it. For a moment, the floatzel's body stiffened, a strangled cry wringing from its throat, then it crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.

"Rock Slide, Tyranitar!" Roland shouted.

The tyranitar stooped down and plunged its hands down into the ground, each scooping up a huge clump of earth. It straightened and, with a deafening roar, flung the twin chunks high into the air which came raining down as a shower of thick, rocky shards upon Freya and Trace. The empoleon backpedaled as she raised her wings above her head, fending off most of the stony projectiles, with the rest bouncing off her tough hide. The attack fell heavily on Trace, however, driving the porygon to the ground and covering it with a loose blanket of rubble.

Ryan banged a fist against the table in front of him in frustration as the referee called his pokemon down, then quickly composed himself. "Damn! He almost made it."

"Don't worry," Stacy said. "You and Trace did your part by taking out the floatzel. Now, it's my turn." With a grin, she focused back on the field. "Let's make an opening, Freya!"

The tyranitar continued its assault, hurling two more huge rocks at Freya. Instead of dodging them, the empoleon met the attack head-on, slashing the boulders with a one-two swipe of her steel-edged wings and exploding them into a shower of tiny fragments.

"Now, Freya!" Stacy shouted. "Hydro Cannon!"

The empoleon's chest expanded as if taking a great breath, and then, with a sound like a bursting dam, a roiling ball of water blasted forth from her beak, streaking across the distance separating the two pokemon in the blink of an eye. The watery shot exploded against the tyranitar's body with the sound of a mighty wave crashing against a seawall, blasting the huge pokemon from its feet. It fell with a crash into the loose earth it had torn open moments before, now sodden with water. The swirling sand surrounding it suddenly grew still and floated serenely down to the ground.

The referee's whistle pierced the air. "Red team down! White team wins the match!"

Amid the thunderous cheers of the crowd, Ryan turned to Stacy and nodded approvingly. "That was some damn good fighting," he said.

Stacy smiled at the compliment. "Well, I have done this before, you know, and Freya is one tough girl." She blinked and her face took on a much more serious expression. "Wait, you know what this means, right?"

Ryan paused, his brow lifting. "It means... we won the match?"

"It means that we're going to the final." She gripped him by the shoulders and her eyes widened in excitement. "We could actually win this thing!"

"In that case, I guess we should get back inside and fix up our pokemon." Ryan glanced up at the cheering crowd then added with a half-smile, "Besides, people are starting to stare."

Stacy laughed, then waved to Freya to rejoin them. Stacy put an arm around her empoleon and, with the roar of the crowd at their backs, the three of them strode back into the tunnel to prepare for their final battle.


	10. Showtime, Part 3

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Showtime - Part 3**

In the brightly lit aid station, Ryan leaned back in one of the many plastic chairs that sat in rows opposite the medical machinery. He looked around the large room which looked positively cavernous now that all of the other competitors were gone. Only Shin's team remained and they had left the room some time ago since their pokemon had taken very little damage in their previous match. Ryan glanced over at Stacy who sat next to the bio-reactor that Dredge was currently convalescing inside of. She sat leaning in close, gently stroking one of Dredge's toes - the most contact that wouldn't interfere with the bio-reactor's healing glow.

Ryan sniffed, then turned his attention back to the television hanging on the wall.

 _"This segment of our coverage of the Pokemon League Pro-Am is sponsored by NuGen, and by Spartan - makers of top-quality poké balls. At home, or in the field, nothing beats a Spartan"._

A soft beeping from one of the bio-reactors drew the attention of one of the idle veterinarians who checked it, then released its occupant - Ryan's metalleon, Buster. The gray pokemon hopped down from the table then slunk off to a far corner, head and tail held low, then curled up on the floor, facing the wall.

Ryan watched him for a while as he lay quietly and unmoving. Finally, he sighed then stood and crossed the room. He sat down against the wall a short distance from his metalleon, one arm extended and propped up on a knee. "What's the matter, Buster. You look like someone stole your ice cream."

Buster turned slightly toward Ryan, his crystal blue eyes downcast and his ears drooping.

"Does this have anything to with the last match?" Ryan asked.

Buster made no sound, only dipping his head and turning slightly away in response.

"I thought so," Ryan said. He beckoned with his propped arm without lifting it. "Come here for a sec."

Buster slowly rose, going to Ryan's side and lying next to him with his head upon his paws.

"Look, I know where you're at. You win a few battles, think things are going your way, then boom," Ryan smacked his knee for emphasis, "someone floors you."

Buster glanced up at him without moving his head, then looked straight forward again.

"So you did great in the first match, then got beat in the second. You know what? It doesn't matter." Ryan leaned slightly toward his pokemon, then continued, "I'll let you in on a secret. Losing a fight is usually no big deal. Most of the time, you fight not knowing if you'll win or lose. Hell, sometimes you fight knowing you _will_ lose. The important thing isn't winning every fight but having the courage to fight in the first place.

Buster looked up at him, this time not looking away again.

"We all want to be strong and to win. But being strong isn't just about winning, it's about getting back up after you lose." Ryan paused in thought, flexing the fingers of one hand. "You see, I used to be in a really bad situation and I had to fight a lot before things got better. Well, maybe I didn't _have_ to fight every single time, but the point is that even though I didn't always come out on top, I came to realize that it wasn't over as long as I was willing to dust myself off and fight another day. I know, nobody likes losing - believe me, I've had my share of that - but the truth is, you haven't really lost until you've given up."

Buster sat up, his ears slowly lifting, and turned to face Ryan. The blue eyes that gazed into his were no longer downcast but now held a peculiar intensity that seemed to grow stronger as they remained fixed on him.

"Hey, Ryan," Stacy said, walking toward him. "Everyone's all fixed up and ready to go."

Ryan turned toward Stacy and stood. "Good. The final match should be soon, then."

"Right, and I want go over some stuff before we go out."

"Like our opposition?"

Stacy nodded. "Shin's ranked number one for a reason. He's an exceptional battler and his pokemon are very strong. The one advantage we have is that he only competes in singles tournaments. He's not experienced in the nuances of team strategy and dynamics, and that could give us an edge. We can't underestimate him, though. He's smart and any tricks we use won't fool him for long."

"So we'll have to focus on strategy rather than power," Ryan said.

"Right. There's something else that worries me, though. He's only had to use two of his pokemon in all the matches to this point." She gestured at the television which was showing highlights from Shin and Junpei's last match. "Shin brought his meowstic and his charizard but we don't know what his third is, and if it's his dragon, we could have a real problem."

Ryan frowned. "Why's that?"

"Because first, dragon pokemon are pretty tough to start with, and second, Shin's dragon is a haxorus and a particularly nasty one, to boot. The fact that he managed to catch, tame and train a dragon pokemon at all really says a lot about Shin's skill and ability as a trainer. Not many people can do it."

"Is it really that hard to train dragon pokemon?"

"Yes, Ryan, it is. Trust me, I know."

Ryan briefly thought about asking further about it but decided not to press. The fact that she didn't have any dragon pokemon of her own was answer enough.

Stacy raised a finger. "Oh, and there's one more thing. They add terrain to the final match."

"Terrain?"

"Yep. They add hills and pillars to the field to add an extra layer of strategy and keep things from just being a slugfest. We'll have to make sure we use that to our advantage."

Ryan smiled. "Believe me when I say I know a thing or two about using one's surroundings to good effect in a fight."

An event staff member approached them. "Excuse me, Miss Lynd, Mister Meadows, it's time."

# # #

The announcer's voice echoed in the staging tunnel as Ryan and Stacy stood looking out onto the field beyond. The coliseum's lights had been turned on, which, along with the fading afternoon light, cast the field in an unnaturally bright glow. Tall wooden columns now jutted up among several large mounds of dirt piled onto the field. The mounds weren't high enough to significantly obstruct the view from the stands - just enough to be an obstacle and provide some cover in a pinch.

Ryan glanced over at Stacy who was squeezing one of the poké balls hanging from her belt in a white-knuckled grip. "Hey," he said, putting his hand over hers, "you're going to crush it. That won't be good for anyone."

She eased her grip but didn't let go of the ball.

"Why are you so nervous, anyway. Haven't you done a ton of these?"

Stacy flashed a tiny smile. "I have, but I don't make it to the finals very often. Competition at this level is pretty tough." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, she let go of the ball and touched the back of her hand to his. "But I think I'm starting to have a good feeling about this one."

 _"And on the red team, Stacy Lynd and Ryan Meadows!"_ the announcer's voice echoed from outside.

"Looks like we're up," Ryan said.

# # #

Ryan and Stacy strode onto the field, the crowd cheering louder than ever. Across the field, Shin and Junpei had already taken their places behind their trainers' table. Putting his poké balls on the table, Ryan looked up at the scoreboard which displayed the trainers' names, each with three poké ball icons next to them. His eyes went to the third icon next to Shin's name. He hoped there wasn't a dragon inside it.

The referee blew several short blasts from his whistle and the cheers began to subside. "White team, ready!" the referee called, gesturing to the opposite end of the field. Shin and Junpei each held up a poké ball.

The referee gestured toward Ryan and Stacy's side. "Red team, ready!"

"Strategy, Ryan," Stacy said, lifting her poké ball into the air.

"Yeah, strategy," Ryan replied, holding up his own starter.

The referee brought his hands together blowing his whistle again, and the cheering erupted anew with the first combatants bursting onto the field.

Stacy's empoleon, Freya, was the first to pop out of its poké ball onto the field. After its strong showing at the end of the last match, Ryan was glad that Stacy had chosen her as her lead-off pokemon. Ryan had chosen to begin with his steel pokemon as well, with Buster joining the empoleon on their side of the field.

The pokemon Shin had sent out first was a two foot-tall catlike creature with twin tails and predominantly white fur, except for the dark blue accents on its hands, feet, neck and the base of its tails. A dark blue swirl of fur crowned the top of its head as well. Its upright stance and coloration marked it as a meowstic, and a female one at that. At its side, Junpei's pokemon stood over a foot and a half taller, its fur an even darker shade of blue with a large crimson crest fanning back from its head and a smaller crest circling its neck. From its distinctly lean frame and large claws at hands and feet, Ryan immediately recognized it as a weavile.

Ryan smiled at the fortuitous match-up and said, "The weavile's all mine."

"Got it," was all Stacy said in reply, then ordered Freya to charge in on Shin's meowstic.

Ryan wasted no time in directing his own pokemon, either, shouting, "Get in close and use Metal Claw on that weavile!"

Being the faster of their team's pokemon, Ryan's metalleon darted ahead of Freya, straight toward Junpei's weavile.

"Zara, get moving!" Shin called to his meowstic.

"You too, Weavile! Don't let them get close!" Junpei shouted.

As one, the weavile and meowstic took off in opposite directions with astonishing speed, easily outpacing their pursuers. Stacy's lumbering empoleon tried its best to keep up, but the meowstic vastly outclassed it in both speed and agility, staying well out of reach. Even Buster couldn't close on his opponent who proved to be even faster and more agile than its partner, zigzagging across the field and bouncing acrobatically off the pillars whenever the metalleon threatened to get too close.

"Now, Zara, use Energy Ball!" Shin commanded.

The meowstic paused for only the briefest of moments to form small, pulsing green globes of energy in each of its hands, then quickly hurled them at the empoleon before dashing away once again. Freya dodged the first Energy Ball, but the second splashed against her left wing, drawing a wince.

"Damn, these guys are quick," Ryan said.

"This is exactly what I was talking about during training about the importance of speed."

"Okay, Weavile," Junpei called from across the field, "attack with Ice Beam!"

The weavile landed softly on its clawed feet and held its hands out in front if it, shooting a beam of blue energy at Buster. The beam struck Ryan's metalleon squarely on its flank and a crusting of ice began to form. Buster quickly rolled away and shook off the ice, seemingly unaffected by the attack.

"That weavile may be fast," Ryan observed with a smirk, "but ice attacks aren't going to do much against a steel pokemon."

"It may not be doing much damage," Stacy said, "but if it keeps hitting Buster, it'll freeze him solid."

Ryan's smile disappeared as he pondered the implications of that.

"There's no way Freya can catch Shin's meowstic," Stacy said, "but I think she can at least keep it busy. Buster, on the other hand, just might be able to keep up with Junpei's weavile but you're going to have to use some serious tactics to mount an effective offense. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah, in fact, I think I'm starting to see a pattern already. Just keep the meowstic out of the picture for a bit, okay?"

"You got it," Stacy answered with a smile. Turning her attention to the battle, she called out, "Freya, hit it with Blizzard!"

In response, Stacy's empoleon raised her wings and a snow-laden wind began to roil around them, building in strength. After waiting a few moments to let the icy gale build, she clapped her wings together in front of her, sending the blizzard howling toward the meowstic who was forced to dive off the mound upon which it was perched.

The weavile, meanwhile, continued its own frigid assault against Buster, firing Ice Beams as it bounced off the columns, landing behind the metalleon and firing again. Each time, the beams left a little more frost to accumulate upon Buster's armored coat.

 _So that's your game, is it?_ Ryan thought to himself. Out loud, he called to Buster, "Ready back!"

The weavile continued to run and bound across the field's irregular terrain as Buster gave chase, just barely able to keep from being completely outrun. Just as Buster was about to catch up, the weavile once again jumped up against a column, bouncing backwards off of it in a quick reversal of motion.

"Flip an Iron Tail!" Ryan shouted.

Readied by Ryan's previous command, Buster was watching for an attack from behind and responded immediately. He launched into a high arcing back flip, intercepting the weavile in midair with a sweeping slash of his tail, now flattened into a jagged sawtoothed blade. The weavile cried out in pain, landing in a rough tumble. It quickly rolled to its feet but now held its left arm.

"Now, Iron Head!" Ryan shouted.

Landing on his feet, Buster sprinted toward the weavile. Before it could dodge out of the way, Buster slammed headfirst into the wounded weavile, sending it tumbling once again with a high-pitched squeal that tapered into a low mewling as it came to rest on it side, curled into ball.

"Down!" the referee called, which elicited a triumphant howl from Buster amid the spectators' cheers.

"Looks like that speed training really paid off," Ryan said to Stacy.

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling.

Junpei wasted no time recalling his downed pokemon and quickly sent out his next. In a flash of its poké ball's light, a blue quadrupedal creature with broad hands and feet and a large, finned tail appeared on the field. Yellow-orange spikes protruded from its cheeks and two large fins crowned its head. It slowly turned its head and bellowed a choppy, guttural cry that vibrated Ryan's chest from across the field.

"You still got the meowstic?" Ryan asked, eyeing the newly arrived swampert.

Stacy ordered Freya to take cover behind a pillar as two more Energy Balls streaked by the empoleon. "Yeah," she said, glancing at Ryan. "It's fast, but not very strong. The swampert Junpei just sent out is the exact opposite - strong but slow. Use your speed and watch its arms."

To Buster, Ryan shouted, "Let's keep it going! Stick and move with some Metal Claws!"

Before the swampert could attack, Buster darted in, ears flattening back and raked the swampert with a swipe of his claws as he streaked past. Digging his claws into the ground, he skidded to a halt and dashed back in for another lightning assault.

The swampert turned its wounded side slightly away from Ryan's metalleon but kept its eyes fixed upon him as he arrowed back in for another strike. Buster leapt into the air, claws poised to strike.

"Swampert, Hammer Arm!" Junpei shouted.

In a single motion, the swampert raised an arm high then brought its fist crashing down upon Buster in midair, driving him into the turf with a brutal hammer-blow. As the swampert lifted its fist from Buster, who now lay motionless in the shallow depression plowed by the impact of the strike, the cheers that had suddenly died a moment before in a collective "ooh" erupted anew.

Ryan blinked in surprise. "Ho-ly shit."

"That thing is a monster," Stacy said. "If we let ourselves get put on the defensive, we're sunk. I have an idea, though." She reached out and hit her button on the trainers' table.

"Substitution, red!" the referee called out.

As Ryan retrieved Buster, he said, "You're going to send in Samson and clean that swampert's clock, right?"

"Not yet," she said, pulling Freya back into her poké ball. "If I send in Dredge, and you send Trace, they'll think we're trying to double-team their meowstic. With the type match-ups, they'll probably send their swampert after Dredge, then you can have Trace start hammering it at range. It's a bit of a gamble, but I'd rather not risk sending Samson out while Shin still has his charizard in reserve."

"Okay," Ryan said, picking up Trace's poké ball, "here goes nothing."

Stacy and Ryan hurled their respective poké balls onto the field from which Stacy's krookodile and Ryan's porygon emerged in a flash of light. Stacy immediately ordered Dredge to attack Shin's meowstic and the krookodile made a beeline for it, jaws agape. Just as they'd hoped, Junpei took the bait and directed his swampert to move to intercept.

"Trace, use Ice Beam on the swampert!" Ryan shouted.

The porygon fired a blue beam which struck Junpei's swampert but it only winced slightly, the small patch of frost at the point of impact flaking off as it continued its charge toward Dredge.

Seeing Stacy's krookodile closing in, the meowstic dashed around one of the terrain mounds, but Stacy's krookodile scrambled over it, leaping off the mound's peak and diving straight at the meowstic on the other side.

"Dredge, Crunch!" Stacy called out.

The krookodile's toothy maw gaped wide as it barreled toward the meowstic, but at the last moment, the meowstic bent backwards almost bonelessly, and when Dredge's jaws snapped shut, he came away with only a tiny tuft of fur from the ruff around its neck.

"Swampert, hit it with some Muddy Water!" Junpei shouted.

The swampert responded by scooping up a large clod of grass and dirt with one hand and stuffing it into its mouth. After taking a moment to work the glob around in its mouth, it spit out a broad stream of brownish water which blasted Dredge from behind, driving him down to all fours.

"Signal Beam, Zara," Shin said in a level voice.

The meowstic's eyes widened and twin beams of multicolored light flashed forth, drilling the krookodile. With a cry, Dredge collapsed to the ground.

"Well, that almost worked," Stacy said ruefully as the referee called her pokemon down.

"Damn, Shin's still on his first pokemon," Ryan said.

"I know," Stacy replied, retrieving Dredge and replacing his poké ball on the table. "We just need to focus on our teamwork. How about a bait and switch?"

Ryan shrugged. "Sounds as good a plan as any."

Stacy threw her next poké ball out and her tropius appeared on the field. She called out to him, holding her arms spread wide, shouting, "Up into the air, Samson!".

As Stacy's pokemon winged skyward, Ryan called out, "Switch it up, Trace! Go after the meowstic!"

"Keep moving, Zara," Shin called as Ryan's porygon began heading for his meowstic, "and keep using your Signal Beams on the flyer."

"The porygon's yours, Swampert!" Junpei called to his pokemon. "Smash it to bits!"

The meowstic again began evading around the terrain obstacles, firing Signal Beams into the air at Samson as it went. Fortunately, none of its attacks connected. Meanwhile, the swampert began waddling forward to press its own attack.

Stacy looked up and was unable to suppress a grin as she saw that Samson had seen her signal when she sent him out, evidenced by the faint glowing tracery spreading along Samson's leafy wings as he drank in the light of the fading afternoon sun. She looked at Ryan and said, "Now."

"Trace, Psybeam!" Ryan shouted.

Trace zeroed in on the meowstic, a pink dot of energy forming on his forehead. But then, it abruptly swiveled and projected its beam of psychic impulse at the swampert, striking it full in the face and stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Samson, Solar Beam, now!" Stacy shouted, pointing at the swampert.

Wheeling around toward the staggered swampert, Stacy's tropius opened its mouth and the energy that had collected in its leafy wings emptied into its body, bursting forth in a searing yellow beam that lanced down upon its target below. The swampert reared back, bellowing, as the solar energy speared it, driving a small cloud of steam from its skin with an audible hiss. For a moment the swampert stood there upon its hind legs as if frozen - eyes squeezed shut, mouth agape, its arms thrown up at crooked angles - then it slowly toppled over, crashing to the ground onto its side.

The crowd erupted into wild cheers that all but drowned out the referee's voice as he called the swampert down. But no sooner had Junpei began recalling the fallen pokemon than Shin's substitution light flashed on and he recalled his meowstic from the field. When Junpei sent out his next pokemon - a large yellow and blue arachnid whose many legs crackled with electricity - it was joined by a distinctly draconic-looking pokemon with a flame-orange hide and a long tail tipped with fire.

Shin's charizard had joined Junpei's galvantula.

"String up your Electrowebs, Galvantula! " Junpei shouted.

The yellow arachnid scuttled up one of the tall columns and began flinging sticky strands of webbing to adjacent columns, quickly forming a net across a large section of the field.

"Your target is in the air, Rocky," Shin called to his charizard. "Go get him!"

With a roar, the charizard shot into the sky. It quickly gained speed with a few powerful flaps of its broad wings, then banked hard in pursuit of its quarry.

"I'm going to need some help, Ryan," Stacy said, watching Shin's charizard gaining on her tropius.

The galvantula continued spinning its webs, skittering from one column to the next, walling off larger sections of the field. Ryan tried to direct his porygon to aid Samson with support fire against his pursuer, but each time he did, the galvantula was there, flinging balls of electricity and forcing it to evade.

"I'm going to have to do something about that bug before I can help you," Ryan said to Stacy. "Try to hold on while I deal with it."

She watched the charizard follow Samson through a series of sharp banks and rolls. "Hurry."

"Tri Attack, Trace!" Ryan shouted.

The porygon shot a tri-colored spiral beam at the galvantula which narrowly flew wide as the arachnid skittered higher along the webs which now covered most of the field. Overhead, the charizard continued to match Samson's aerobatics. With the area near the ground choked with webs, Samson was unable to use the terrain for cover, forcing him into the open air where the charizard's superior speed allowed to it to slowly gain on its quarry.

From across the field, Shin called, "Now, Rocky, hit it with your Flamethrower!"

A line of flame spewed from the charizard's mouth and Samson banked hard, avoiding the blast by a hair's breadth. Samson dived low, skimming the webbed columns in a last-ditch effort to escape his pursuer. But the charizard had found its range and kept up its attack, firing off a steady stream of fire which finally found its mark, striking the tropius squarely on its back. Samson tumbled in the air for only a moment before falling into the galvantula's webs, becoming instantly entangled. With smoke curling from the greenery on his back, Samson struggled to free himself from the sticky strands which held him fast.

"Zap him, Galvantula!" Junpei shouted.

The galvantula spun around and sent an electrical discharge along its web, enveloping the trapped tropius in flashing arcs. When the discharge subsided, Samson hung motionless in the webs.

Stacy already had two poké balls in her hands when the referee called her tropius down - one to retrieve Samson, and the other to throw out as soon as her tropius was off the field. The retrieval beam had barely winked out when Freya popped back out into the fray.

Across the field, Junpei was in his own groove, keeping his galvantula on the attack. From up on its web, it shot an Electro Ball, scoring a direct hit on Trace.

"Trace, Conversion protocol two!" Ryan called to his porygon, whose colors immediately began to shift to yellow and blue. He knew it wouldn't help Trace's offense much, but at least it would offer some protection against the galvantula's attacks while he tried to formulate a strategy.

Stacy, meanwhile had set Freya to attacking Shin's charizard, firing a volley of Hydro Cannon shots into the air, which the charizard deftly avoided. Seeing that the charizard was able to track and dodge the large projectiles of water, Stacy had Freya switch to Brine attacks that, while weaker, covered a larger area in a spray of water.

That did the trick as the charizard was now getting doused with a steady spray of water that hissed and boiled when it stuck near its mouth and tail.

"Rocky, land and cover with Smokescreen," Shin called to his charizard.

The fiery pokemon tucked in its wings and dove for the ground, flaring them out again at the last moment and backwinging to a rapid stop. It then thrust its head forward and spewed a thick cloud of smoke from its mouth, the wind of its rapid descent helping to disperse it forward in a wide swath. In moments, the charizard was completely enveloped in an opaque black haze, obscuring it from sight.

Freya continued her attack, spraying the cloud with Brine, but what effect it was having - if any - was impossible to tell.

"Now, Rocky, Focus Blast," Shin called.

From the edge of the smoke cloud, the barest outline of the charizard became visible as it stepped forward and thrust out its right hand, projecting a red-orange pulse of power that slammed into Freya, spinning her around. The empoleon took a single staggering step before her knees buckled, and she pitched forward onto the turf, hitting the ground with a great _thump_.

Refusing to stay on the defensive, Ryan had Trace counterattack the galvantula with a volley of Ice Beams. Scuttling along its webs, the electric arachnid dodged each attack in turn, continuing its own attacks and managing to clip the porygon with a couple more Electro Balls. Ryan did his best to keep up his attacks, figuring that a solid hit or two would be all he needed to take down his opponent, but with the field so choked with webbing, Ryan saw too late that the galvantula had managed to herd his pokemon into a dead-end.

"Now you've got him, Galvantula!" Junpei shouted. "Hit him with Bug Buzz!"

The galvantula made a loud droning sound - an odd combination of deep bass and a high, piercing whine - that rippled the air between it and the porygon. Tiny shards cracked and chipped off from Trace's body under the sonic assault until finally, it fell to the ground on its side, its eyes blank white panes.

With the crowd cheering their opponents' takedowns, Stacy turned to Ryan. "That's it. I'm out of pokemon."

Ryan looked up at the scoreboard and saw that all three poké ball icons next to Shin's name were still lit. He looked back to Stacy and saw the excitement in her eyes now replaced with heaviness. She was a professional battler, sure, but nobody likes to lose. And they had come so far.

"Hey," Ryan said, picking up his last poké ball. "I've still got one left. What do you say we go out with a bang?"

Stacy's eyes perked up and a small smile crept across her face. "It would be a shame to disappoint our fans. Let's give them something to remember us by."

Ryan hurled his final poké ball and Cutter burst onto the field just outside their end zone. Ryan waved to get his attention. "I need you to stay in psychic contact with me while we fight. Shouting to you won't cut it. Can you do that?"

 _I'd have to divide my attention to listen to you while watching my opponent. The only way I could do what you ask is if I establish a psychic link between us._

Ryan's mouth made a sour twist. "That sounds - invasive."

 _I would have to place a temporary anchor into your mind. After that, the link would be self-sustaining._

Ryan glanced across the field and saw that their opponents' pokemon hadn't yet rushed in to attack. Then again, why should they? The match was all but theirs. They could afford to let their final opponent come to them.

Ryan's eyes went back to Cutter. He took a deep breath, then quickly let it back out. "Do it."

Ryan had to fight the urge to resist the intangible - something - that slid into his consciousness. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to take a breath.

And then it was done.

Ryan could feel now what Gia was talking about before, about the unmistakably alien feel of something in one's mind that didn't belong - an indescribable excess, like a knot in the back of his head. Only, this particular knot wasn't just something crammed in, taking up space. It was an overlap, through which he could feel things that weren't him - vague sensations, feelings, and more strongly, thoughts.

 _Can you hear me alright?_ came a tentative voice through the otherness in Ryan's mind. He instantly recognized it as Cutter's voice, but it sounded somehow more vivid, more vibrant. It was as if all the other times he'd been hearing a cheap recording of it and now he was hearing it in person for the first time.

 _Yeah, I hear you, it's just..._ Ryan trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the experience.

 _I know exactly what you mean_ , Ryan heard him say, and he immediately knew that Cutter did.

 _Good. Then back to the task at hand._ Ryan quickly surveyed his opponents' pokemon again. _You're facing a two-on-one. Mask yourself with Double Team, then attack the galvantula with Psycho Cut._

Cutter briefly concentrated, filling the area around him with illusory duplicates, then charged in among the web-strewn columns. Both the charizard and the galvantula hesitated, eyes darting back and forth among the many forms rushing toward them. Capitalizing on their momentary confusion, Cutter leapt up and delivered a quick slash augmented with psychic power.

"That's the one, Rocky!" Shin called out. "Flamethrower!"

The charizard exhaled a thick stream of fire directly at Cutter - the _real_ Cutter - but with a last-second dive to the side, he avoided the brunt of the blast, taking only a glancing hit. The galvantula, meanwhile, scrambled higher along its webs and away from the gallade.

 _Shin's better than I thought,_ Ryan thought to himself. _He was just waiting for us to make our attack so he would know which one was the real Cutter._

 _You're right_ , Cutter replied. _Should I go after the charizard instead?_

Ryan paused, briefly surprised that Cutter had responded to his passing thought, then remembered that, with the link, Cutter could now hear what he was thinking. He pushed down a mild feeling of unease and said, _No, stay on the galvantula. We need to take it out first._

 _It's going to be hard to reach among its webs._

Ryan smiled. _Take away an opponent's strength and it becomes their weakness._

After only a moment's pause, Cutter replied, _I understand,_ and he ran forward again, but not toward the galvantula. Instead, he leapt high at one of the adjacent columns and slashed out with both arm blades at the webs anchored there. Now without support on one side, the curtain of webbing that the galvantula stood upon went slack and fell away, dumping its occupant on the ground. The galvantula quickly righted itself but Cutter was already back in motion, rushing toward it. With an arm blade limned in pink psychic energy, he slashed the galvantula, the blow sending it rolling along the ground into its own partially detached webbing. It came to an abrupt stop, tangled up in its own web with its legs suspended at odd angles.

The spectators burst into a new round of cheers when the referee called Junpei's pokemon down.

It was now a one-on-one fight.

"Show them your power, Rocky," Shin shouted above the crowd. "Heat Wave!"

The charizard took in a great breath, then opened its mouth wide and unleashed a raging torrent of fire. It turned its head back and forth, engulfing the field before it in rolling waves of spreading flame. Cutter ran for the nearest pillar for cover as the flames roared past, tearing the remaining webs from the columns and burning them to ash.

Cutter drew his arms close around him and away from the flames licking around the column. _Now what do I do?_

Ryan said, _Rock Slide is a Technical Machine technique, right? I'll bet that would shut him up._

 _Yes, I know that technique, but I don't have the power to fuse the earth here into stone. If there was some loose rock around, that would be a different story._

Ryan thought for a moment, then said, _Shin's charizard seems to favor ranged attacks. Let's oblige him for a while. Stay behind the pillars as much as you can and keep your distance._

As soon as the flames died away, Cutter sprinted for another one of the pillars, ducking behind it as another Flamethrower attack whooshed by. Cutter kept this up, running and taking cover behind a new pillar whenever the charizard looked like it was starting to move to a more favorable angle which threatened to cut off his escape route.

"He's trying to exhaust your fire, Rocky," Shin called out, his voice taking a more intense tone. "Use your Focus Blast to destroy the column!"

Ryan saw the corona of orange energy gathering around the charizard's hand. _Move it, Cutter!_

Cutter dove away just as the charizard's blast of energy struck the thick wooden column, sending large, splintery chunks flying in all directions and toppling it over with a mighty crash.

Ryan pointed to the thick concrete footing that clung to the uprooted column. _There's your rock, Cutter!_

Cutter hopped back to his feet and, with a single punch, knocked several large chunks of concrete loose and scooped them up. The charizard, now seeing its target exposed, drew in another breath to attack again. Cutter heaved the concrete chunks at the same time the charizard began exhaling another fiery breath. The rocky projectiles sailed through the air and struck home, one of them knocking the charizard's head askew. Its flame continued spewing out in a haphazard swirl as it fell backward, cutting off abruptly when it hit the ground.

Shin called to his pokemon, but the charizard's only response was the thin streamer of smoke that issued from its mouth as it lay motionless.

The referee pointed to the charizard and called, "Down!" which stoked the spectators' cheers even louder. Somewhere high in the stands behind him, though, Ryan began to hear small but growing chant of " _Cutter! Cutter!_ "

Shin quickly cleared his fallen pokemon and sent his agile meowstic back out in its place.

 _That one's fast, Cutter,_ Ryan said. _Get in there with some Night Slashes before it takes off!_

The meowstic immediately bolted but Cutter gave chase, his arm blades wrapped in a dark glow. He sprinted forward, closing in near enough to take a swipe, but even at a run, the meowstic was able to flip aside, dodging the strike.

"Counterattack with Shadow Ball, Zara," Shin called out. With a high, flip into the air, his pokemon flung hazy, dark purple globs at Cutter.

Cutter sidestepped the first volley but was struck by another that immediately followed. He stumbled, holding his shoulder, and ducked behind a nearby column for cover.

 _Are you okay?_ Ryan asked.

 _Yeah. She's fast, but not very strong. Stings like crazy, though._

 _Let's try another Double Team. That might let you slip in close enough for a solid attack._

Cutter flexed his shoulder, then began to surround himself with illusory duplicates once again. Now masked among his doubles, he broke from his cover and charged in again at the meowstic. A Shadow Ball streaked just past him - a lucky shot which happened to target the real him. But when a second and then a third shot also burst around his feet, Cutter realized that luck had nothing to do with it.

 _What's happening?_ Ryan asked. _How's it doing that?_

 _She's psychic, Ryan, and a good one at that. I don't think we can fool her with tricks like that._ Cutter hunkered down behind a mound to catch his breath. _She's just too fast, and I keep losing track of her around the obstacles._

 _Can you see what I see through our link?_

Cutter thought for a moment. _Yes, but I'd have to focus on it._

 _In that case, make your way to the far end of the field and wait for my signal._ Without further explanation, Ryan watched Cutter start to circle around toward the opposite side. He knew that Cutter understood exactly what he needed to do.

Shin's meowstic continued to keep its distance from Cutter, occasionally hurling another Shadow Ball when Cutter moved out of cover. Now, with Cutter having made his way around to the opposite end of the field, the meowstic stood hunkered down behind a mound on the near side, directly in front of Ryan.

 _Now, Cutter._

Ryan suddenly felt Cutter's presence more strongly through the link, and he knew that Cutter was now seeing what he was seeing. In an instant, the presence subsided and Cutter suddenly appeared within his field of view, having teleported in directly behind his opponent. Before it could react, Cutter slashed the startled meowstic with a black-wreathed blade. The meowstic cried out with a high-pitched wail and fell at Cutter's feet.

When the referee called Shin's pokemon down, many in the crowd leapt to their feet, cheering all the louder. Once again, Ryan heard a chant of, " _Cutter! Cutter! Cutter!_ " now taken up by even more people.

Ryan watched Shin pick up his third and final poké ball with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation. Was it his haxorus? How would Cutter fare against a dragon, especially after having fought three opponents already? The poké ball sailed through the air and landed on the charred grass of the field.

 _Take cover, Cutter_ , Ryan said, and his gallade rushed to the nearest mound, hunkering down behind it.

In a burst of light and sound, Shin's final pokemon materialized, bent down on one knee. As it drew itself slowly upright, Ryan could see that its appearance was more human-like than draconic. Its body was mostly blue with darker bands and accents with metal spikes protruded from its hands and chest. It slowly turned its distinctly canine head, taking in its surroundings with a proud gaze.

"He brought his lucario, Ryan" Stacy said, breaking her silence for the first time since he sent out Cutter. "He brought Katsu."

The anxious tone of her voice suddenly made him wonder just how relieved he should be that Shin hadn't brought his dragon.

The lucario strode forward to the middle of the field and stopped. He threw his head back and howled, then beckoned with both hands toward the half of the field opposite him.

Ryan watched it stand there, repeating the howl and gesture. _What the hell is he doing?_

Cutter peeked over the mound at his opponent. _He's challenging me, Ryan._

 _He's gotta be kidding. No way we're going for that._

Cutter stood and began striding toward the center of the field.

"Cutter, what are you doing?" So overcome by shock and disbelief was Ryan that he had spoken the words out loud.

 _I'm accepting his challenge_ , Cutter said. _No hiding. No tricks. Just a straight-up fight._

 _That's playing right into their hands, Cutter. He's fresh and you're not. Don't be stupid about this._

Cutter continued toward the waiting lucario. _Please understand, not all pokemon are the same. There are many among us who believe in more than mere survival of the fittest, who believe that contests of strength and power are not just exercises in brutality._

 _If you do this, we're going to lose, Cutter._

 _There's more to life than winning at all costs, Ryan,_ Cutter said, striding forward. _Besides, isn't this why we're here? To test our mettle, learn our strengths and weaknesses and to become stronger for it?_

Everything Ryan knew and experienced told him that this was foolishness. Through his connection to his gallade, though, he could feel that there was something of unspeakable significance in this, something rooted deep at an almost primal level. This was an experience completely unlike his own - a feeling that was alien, but through their link, familiar at the same time. Ryan shook his head. He didn't want to understand this.

But Cutter did, and that meant he did, too.

Cutter stopped about ten yards away from his opponent. The lucario made a fist with one hand and covered it with the other, bowing. In response, Cutter held up one arm blade vertically before him, then snapped it to his side in a fencer's salute.

Katsu and Cutter squared off, sizing each other up for a moment, then launched into their attacks. The lucario pivoted slightly, a sphere of brilliant energy flaring between his hands while Cutter rushed toward him, his arm blades drawn and burning with pink energy. Katsu thrust his hands forward and hurled an Aura Sphere. Cutter sidestepped, but the blazing sphere's trajectory bent to follow him, striking him in the shoulder with enough force to knock him sideways. Though briefly staggered, he didn't stop running and closed in to deliver a fierce cross-body slash, driving the lucario back several steps.

"Dragon Pulse, Katsu!" Shin shouted, his previously methodical demeanor quickly evaporating.

The lucario backflipped out of Cutter's reach and loosed a ball of purple-blue dragonfire from its mouth. Cutter dove to the side and the blast streaked past him, ricocheting off one of the columns and exploding in a brilliant burst against one of the spectator protection force fields near the lower seats.

From his vantage, Ryan saw that the lucario's attack had briefly winded him, leaving him ripe for a counterstrike. No sooner had the thought finished forming in his mind than Cutter rushed in, throwing a powerful right hook. The lucario recovered just in time to pull back, though, and the swing went wide.

Shin was now pacing back and forth behind his trainers' table, animatedly issuing commands to his pokemon. "Okay, Katsu, switch to your Metal Claw and keep the pressure on!"

The lucario widened his stance, focusing on power rather than mobility. He lashed out with a series of vicious slashes with his metallic paw spikes, forcing Cutter back on the defensive.

Ryan could see that Cutter's previous battles were finally taking their toll. Even without the psychic link, he could tell that Cutter was getting exhausted - his parries were coming slower, his guard beginning to drop. Cutter tried to muster a counterattack, but Katsu easily blocked his blade with a metal paw spike and stepped inside with a punch to Cutter's body. Finally, Cutter's guard failed and he could only dodge back from a spinning slash which carved a deep gouge in a nearby column. Following through, the lucario planted his foot in Cutter's chest, knocking him backward off his feet.

Cutter quickly sat back up to see another Dragon Pulse streaking toward him. Unable to dodge it, Cutter teleported - this time, only managing a jump of a few feet - barely avoiding the blast that scorched the ground in front of him.

Cutter clambered to his feet, wearily raising his arms into a guard position.

Shin pointed to the wavering gallade. "Now, Extreme Speed to Force Palm!"

In a nearly instantaneous blur of motion, the lucario crossed the distance between itself and Cutter and pummeled the gallade with a series of strikes too fast to follow. Before Cutter could stagger back more than a step from the rapid-fire strikes, Katsu thrust a glowing open-palm strike into his chest. The strike blasted Cutter backward, the sound of its impact following a fraction of a second later.

Ryan watched Cutter sail through the air as if in slow motion.

Just like all the fights he'd ever lost before, the final moment of defeat always seemed cruelly drawn out.

Cutter hit the ground, skidding sideways.

Old memories returned of the sting of pain and the taste of blood and sweat and dirt. Only this time, the pain Ryan felt seeping into the edges of his consciousness wasn't his own.

Cutter's tumble along the ground stretched on with excruciating slowness before he finally came to rest face-down on the grass.

The referee put his whistle to his mouth and raised his hand.

It was over.

But then, Ryan felt within himself a distinctive sharp-edged determination - raw and powerful and desperate. The feel of it was so familiar that he instantly recognized it as his own, except he felt that it originated not from himself, but through the link, coming from Cutter.

He saw the gallade begin to push himself off the ground - slowly, and on trembling arms - and then to his knees. Finally, he planted one foot and heaved himself upright. Swaying on his feet, he lifted his arms into a feeble ready position.

Even without feeling it through the link, Ryan could clearly see that Cutter was dead on his feet. He was beaten, exhausted and only managed to keep his feet through sheer determination alone. He had nothing left - or practically nothing, anyway. Only enough, perhaps, for one last display.

 _I told Stacy we'd go out with a bang,_ Ryan said. _What do you say?_

A flash of thought and emotion flashed between them, and no more words were spoken.

Cutter extended his blades to its maximum length to increase his reach, then lurched forward in a lumbering charge. The lucario watched Cutter's approach with a mixture of curiosity and mild bewilderment, then raised his hands to meet the attack. Cutter closed to within striking distance then swung the blade protruding from his right elbow in a wide arc at the lucario's head. Katsu effortlessly brought one hand up to block the blade while stepping in to deliver a blow of his own.

 _Now_ , Ryan said.

For a fleeting moment, the lucario's eyes widened in surprise when Cutter retracted his blade in mid-swing, slipping past his block. Cutter's elbow continued its arc and smashed into Katsu's face, knocking his head to the side. The lucario took an involuntary step backward and brought his hands up to guard his face but Cutter was already following through. Stepping in close, Cutter drove a knee into Katsu's midsection then followed with an elbow strike from his left arm, finishing with a right uppercut that landed squarely against the lucario's chin. Katsu staggered backward, managing a few stumbling steps before his legs finally collapsed under him. The lucario dropped heavily to his knees then pitched forward onto the ground.

The crowd exploded into roaring cheers, almost drowning out the referee's whistle that ended the match.

At that, Cutter fell to his hands and knees. Down on all fours, he could only pant in exhaustion, too spent to even move, amid the chanting of the crowd, _"Cutter! Cutter! Cutter!"_ He remained there until a shadow fell across him and he mustered the strength to look up at its source.

Ryan stood over him, extending a hand.

 _We did it,_ Cutter said with a weary smile as Ryan helped him to his feet.

Ryan gave him a half-smile. "Nah. This one was all you." Cutter's beaming pride flooding through the psychic connection brought Ryan's attention back to it, as well as the awareness that his own thoughts and emotions were still on display as well. "By the way, could you unplug me? This feels kinda weird in my head, you know?"

 _Of course,_ Cutter said.

A moment later, Ryan could feel the knot in the back of his head pull free and slide out.

 _But you and Stacy helped out too, Ryan,_ Cutter continued. _Your strategies made this possible, especially at the end._

"Yeah, I guess we did our part, but you guys did all the fighting. Besides, it's your name the crowd is shouting." Ryan gestured to the crowd which was still chanting his name. "It was your sweat and blood that earned this victory. This is your moment. You've earned it."

Cutter looked up into the stands where the spectators' cheers continued undiminished. _It feels - good to win._ He looked back at Ryan. _But I hope you understand why I had to do it this way, to meet Katsu's challenge._

Ryan sighed. "Yeah, I do, but I hope _you_ understand why I didn't want you to."

Cutter nodded slowly and looked up into Ryan's eyes. _I do._

Ryan gripped Cutter by the shoulder as he began to sway on his feet. "Now come on, let's get you fixed up."

With his pokemon leaning against him, Ryan walked back to the trainer's table where Stacy waited.

Her eyes went from Cutter to Ryan, then she smiled. "Now you understand, Ryan," she said. "Now you know the difference between fighting _with_ your pokemon and fighting next to them. That's why you won."

A soft, short humming sound made Ryan turn toward the poké ball retrieval kadabra standing at their table. The bewhiskered fox-like pokemon fixed Ryan with knowing eyes and gave the slightest of nods.

"Let's go," Stacy said, slipping an arm around Ryan's shoulder. "You both look like you could use a break."

And with that, Stacy, Ryan and Cutter left the field with the crowd continuing its chant behind them.

# # #

By the time Ryan and Stacy emerged from the coliseum, the sun had set. The last vestiges of its orange light clung to the edge of the horizon, above which the dark of evening had taken its place. The crowds exiting the venue made their way along the wide, lamp-lit paths of the park surrounding it. The duo navigated through the throng with their pokemon at their side, occasionally waylaid by a fan who wanted a picture with the victors. Buster got particular attention, which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

Finally, nearing the edge of the crowd, two familiar faces came running toward them.

"Stacy-y-y-y!" Christina shouted, running up to her sister. She collided with Stacy, nearly knocking her over but for the fact that she threw her arms around her in a massive hug. "You won! You totally won!"

"I know we did, I was there," She said, hugging her back.

Jennifer, following close behind, got in on the action by sandwiching her with a hug from the other side.

Christina, still beaming, detached from her sister and turned on Ryan. Not bothering to contain herself as she did before the match, she wrapped him up in a hug and said, "You were so amazing, too, Ryan!"

"I, uh," Ryan stammered, holding his trophy to one side in one hand, "thanks."

Christina stepped back and looked around. "Where's Cutter? I want tell him how awesome he did."

"He's resting in his poké ball," Ryan said. "The vets said he's going to need some time off, but I'm sure he'll be up and around tomorrow."

"Your trophies are pretty," Jennifer said, examining Stacy's.

"Yeah they're cool," Ryan replied. "Trace didn't waste any time commemorating the occasion either." He pulled out his cell phone and held it up. The screen displayed a wallpaper depicting a roast fowl of some sort on a fancy platter with a blue ribbon affixed to it. Underneath, a large caption read, _Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner_.

"Why don't you take a look inside that envelope they gave you along with the trophy," Stacy suggested.

Ryan handed his trophy to Christina and fished a paper envelope out of one of his pants pockets. He carefully tore it open and pulled out its contents - a check. His eyes scanned the amount and widened. "Is this for real?" he breathed.

Stacy smiled. "I told you there was a lot of money in professional League battling. If this were an actual ranked event, you'd have gotten even more." She leaned in and whispered, "Who do you think bought that sweet RV that we went camping in?"

Ryan whistled appreciatively, then put the check away.

"Well, look at the big winner," came a female voice from the edge of the crowd.

Ryan immediately turned toward the voice and focused on the young woman making her way toward him. Her long, black hair shimmered in the light of the lamps along the walkway and the tight T-shirt and jeans she wore accentuated her many delicate curves as she walked. Following close behind was a nearly seven foot tall ursine pokemon with black and white coloration much like a panda.

"Are you... Kimmie?" Ryan said.

Her smile made her fine Japanese features even more beautiful. "Has it really been so long that you don't recognize me?"

"Well, yes! I mean, no. I mean..." Ryan paused to collect himself. "It's been years since you moved back to Johto, Kimmie. You look... kinda different." He pointed up at the massive pokemon looming behind her. "And is that Chop?"

"Yes, it is. He got a lot bigger when he evolved into a pangoro. And you're different too, Ryan," the newcomer added. "I never thought I'd see you, of all people, with pokemon, and here you are competing in the Pokemon League."

Stacy went to Ryan's side and said, "You two obviously know each other. Are you going to introduce her?"

"Sorry," Ryan said with a slightly bashful smile. "Everyone, this is Kimmie. We go way back. Kimmie, this is Stacy, Christina and Jennifer. We all got acquainted when I got a job with their mother."

"Nice to meet you all," Kimmie said with a smile and a wave. She noticed the object strapped to Ryan's back and added, "What do we have here?" Before Ryan could answer, she plucked it from its sheath.

"Its a staff," Ryan said. "A metal folding staff made from lairon metal. It opens like..."

"This?" she said, pressing its catch, and unfolding it. She held it appraisingly, then twirled it around her body in a series of expertly executed flourishes. "It's nicely balanced. I hope you've been practicing what I taught you."

"I'm a little rusty, but I've been getting back into the swing of it."

"Wait," Stacy said to Ryan, "is _this_ the friend you've been talking about who taught you how to fight?"

Kimmie raised an eyebrow. "Has he been telling stories about me?"

"Not really," Stacy said. "He's been pretty tight-lipped about his past."

"I see." Kimmie folded the staff back up and handed it to Ryan along with a slip of paper. "Well, I'm sure you two have plans, so I won't keep you. That's my number if you want to catch up sometime."

"Definitely," Ryan said, nodding. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"I look forward to it." Kimmie smiled, then turned and walked off with her pangoro in tow.

Ryan watched her leave, then turned back to the others with a big grin on his face. "So, what do you say we celebrate our big win? Dinner's on me."

Christina gave him a playful shove on the arm and said, "We know you can sure afford it!"

Stacy looked in the direction of Kimmie's disappearing form for a moment then back toward Ryan. "I know just the spot." She tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the parking lot. "Come on, let's go have some fun."


	11. Belly of the Beast

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Belly of the Beast**

"So, you and Kimmie have been spending an awful lot of time together lately," Christina said to Ryan around a mouthful of pizza. Around them, the sounds of conversations from the other diners mingled with the music playing over the restaurant's speakers into a low din typical of the lunch hour.

Ryan, sitting across the table from her shrugged. "It hasn't been that much and I haven't seen her in a long time. We have a lot to catch up on."

"Have you talked about the stuff you and Stacy are doing with Xenon?"

"Nah. I mean, I know I could trust her, but I think it's best to keep knowledge of our illegal activities to as few people as possible. And speaking of knowledge, why is it, exactly, that I keep taking you out for lunch? Your mother knows that I've stopped pulling diaper duty on Alexander."

"Because you can afford it, mister big pokemon winner," she said with smile.

"Or could it be that you're just a mooch?" he asked, pointing at her with his slice of pizza.

She leaned forward, propping her head on one arm. "Actually, I just like decent company."

Ryan made no immediate reply, instead grabbing another slice of pizza and busying himself with taking several bites and a long pull from his soda. Finally, he said, "So, I see that necklace is working for you."

She lightly grasped the hummingbird pendant between her fingers. "Of course. Hummingbirds are my favorite animals, after all. You know, I wonder if there are hummingbird pokemon out there somewhere. If so, I'm totally going to catch one, even if I have to travel to another country to do it."

"You never know. They keep discovering new pokemon all the time." Ryan finished off his slice then glanced at his watch. "Damn, my lunch hour's over already?"

"We don't have to rush," Christina said. "I'm sure my mom won't mind if you're a little late, and if she makes a stink, I'll tell her it was my fault for keeping you."

Ryan thought for a moment, then said, "As tempting as that sounds, I think I'd better put in some solid hours for a while. As it is, your mom has been pretty generous considering all the recent side activities I've been doing. I'd rather not push things with her."

"I suppose so," Christina said with a sigh.

As they got up to leave, Ryan gave her a gentle shove with his elbow and said, "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for you to mooch off me later."

She returned the shove and smiled. "You better believe it."

# # #

In the forest near the Arborea Hills Pokemon Veterinary Clinic, Cutter and Gia walked together along a winding dirt path among the trees, much of whose foliage now lay on the ground in a carpet of brown and red. In places, brisk gusts drove the leaves into piles where the occasional bidoof could be seen frolicking.

 _I have to say, you've come a long way since you began your partnership with Ryan_ , Gia said.

 _I suppose I have gotten stronger, haven't I?_ Cutter replied.

 _That's not what I mean. When you first came here, you were so stuffy. Now you don't sound so formal all the time. You're more relaxed, you smile more._ She looked toward him and gave him a smile of her own. _I like it._

 _I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Ryan has rubbed off on me some. Formal is the one thing he isn't, let me tell you. He has a way about him, though - a confidence and an inner strength that always amazes me. I really felt it when we linked up during our final match._

Gia arched an eyebrow. _Oh?_

 _At the end of the match, Katsu had me beat - and I mean well and truly beat. But then, I felt something deep inside me, except that it wasn't coming from me. It was part of Ryan. Through the link, there was quite a bit of mental overlap between us and toward the end, we both sort of got wrapped up in it._

 _So, what was it like, this feeling?_ Gia asked. _It must've been something quite extraordinary to spur you on, given the circumstances._

Cutter stared up into the trees with a distant look on his face. _It's hard to describe. It wasn't just a sense of determination or willpower. It felt almost primal, a_ need _to get back up and fight - like being underwater for too long and needing to get back to the surface._

Gia nodded. _I see. It sounds like he's very competitive._

Cutter turned back toward Gia. _But that's just it. He's not. In fact, I don't think it would've bothered him at all if we'd lost. It's more like... It's..._ Cutter stopped, frowning in thought.

Gia tilted her head, and waited for him to continue.

 _There's something inside him, something he's been carrying around for so long that he doesn't even know it's there anymore. It's sharp and heavy and..._ He shook his head.

 _Perhaps the scars on his back aren't the only ones he carries?_

 _I don't know. Maybe. Every time I mention them, he gets really uptight._

 _Just be patient. I'm sure he'll share it with you when he's ready._

The path had circled around and brought them back to the clinic. Cutter saw Ryan stretched out on the grass.

 _And what if he doesn't?_ Cutter asked.

Gia placed a hand on his arm. _Then just be as you already are. His friend._

# # #

Lying on the lawn surrounding the pokemon clinic, Ryan stared up at the clouds. The sunlight shining down upon him had lost much of its warmth as the year grew late but was still enough to keep the chill out of the air. The sound of his cell phone ringing in his pocket brought his attention down from the lone pidgeotto winging across the sky. He pulled out his phone and answered it.

" _Bon Jou_ r, Ryan, and congratulations on your victory at the pro-am," said the voice on the other end with a distinctive Kalosian accent.

"Thanks, Gerard," Ryan replied. "I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you again. Though, something tells me that you have business to discuss, as well."

"You are correct, I'm afraid. I would have called sooner, but I thought it best to allow some time for your pokemon to fully recover. On that subject, you should know that there are many in the Pokemon League who would like to see you compete professionally."

"Yeah, I already got a couple of e-mails from the League inviting me to compete. They even said I could start in whichever circuit I wanted."

"You're a natural, Ryan, " Gerard said. "You should give it some thought."

Ryan thought for a moment before continuing. "I don't know. I mean, the money's good - if you can place well enough, that is - but to compete at that level means I'd pretty much have to devote my life to it. I'm not sure I'd be interested in that."

"You don't have to make any decisions right away. Just keep it in mind. But it's good to have options, no?" Gerard sighed, then continued in a more serious tone, "In the meantime, let us discuss 'business' as you say."

"Shoot."

"Through various channels, we have been watching Xenon and discovered that recently, large shipments of rare materials and pharmaceuticals have been going to a facility owned by one of their holding companies. We'd like to have it looked into."

"That's interesting," Ryan said, "but as I understand it, Xenon does work on a lot of advanced projects, including legitimate bio-tech research. How do you know it's related to their pokemon weapons project?"

"The building in question is listed as a plant that manufactures desks and office chairs. Not much call for bio-engineering supplies at such a place, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that's pretty fishy." Ryan replied.

"I've e-mailed you a map detailing the facility's location. I hope the two of you can look into it soon."

"Actually," Ryan said after a pause, "I think I'm going to handle this one solo."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Gerard asked.

"I don't plan on dusting it up with these guys again, so I shouldn't need backup. Besides, the fewer that go, the less the chances of being seen, and... well..."

"Yes? Go on."

After a long pause, Ryan continued, "To be honest, I don't think Stacy is cut out for this sort of thing. I mean, she's got strong pokemon and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty, it's just..." Ryan took a deep breath. "I know this stuff is important, but she's got a respectable life ahead of her and what we're doing is kinda shady. Plus, these guys aren't playing around. If things go south, they won't hesitate to hurt her."

There was a short silence on the other end. "I understand," Gerard said. "You must do as you think is best, of course. But do not get yourself hurt, either."

"Don't worry. If I can get at an access point, I'll have Trace do most of the actual snooping. And if it turns out that I can't crack this one alone, I'll pull back and get some backup, okay?"

"Very well. Again, be careful."

"Will do." Ryan stood up, brushing away some lawn clippings that clung to his clothing, then downloaded Gerard's map. The building in question was located a few hours' drive to the north, which meant that if he left right after his work shift ended, it would be dark by the time he arrived - perfect for a bit of covert snooping around.

# # #

With the sun beginning to sink low in the sky, Ryan headed out the front door of the clinic with his motorcycle helmet in hand. As he neared the parking lot, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing again.

"Heading out are we?" came Doctor Lynd's voice from behind him.

Ryan turned and saw her locking up for the evening with Alexander held in the crook of one arm. "Just going for a ride. You know, get some air, stretch my legs."

Doctor Lynd's eyes went to his belt where all three of his poké balls hung. "I see," she said, drawing the words out slightly longer than normal. "Since you're taking your pokemon with you, you should bring Spike. He needs to get out, too."

Ryan really didn't want to bring the pichu, but decided that arguing about it would probably only lead to questions he'd rather not answer. He went back into the clinic and returned a short time later with Spike on his shoulder and an additional poké ball in his hand. He put the pichu into the poké ball and hung it on his belt with the other three.

"All present and accounted for," Ryan said with a half-smile.

Doctor Lynd nodded. "Be safe, Ryan." Her tone lacked its usual lightness, but she made no further issue.

Ryan watched her leave, waiting until her car drove out of sight before getting on his motorcycle and speeding away.

# # #

From high in the foothills on the outskirts of a city far to the north, Ryan knelt among the rocks, shrouded in the night's darkness, peering down at the building that sat a few hundred yards away. The tall, single-story industrial building was covered in faded brown paint and dotted with large, dusty windows. Large street lights dotted the asphalt that surrounded the building, but no light shone down from them.

"No lights on and no cars in the parking lot," Ryan said to his porygon, Trace, who hovered nearby. "Still, that doesn't mean no one's home." He pointed to a telephone pole whose wires stretched to the building's nearest wall. "That's your entry point. Try to take some interior shots, too, if you can, but be careful, okay?"

Trace nodded and chirped affirmatively, then floated down the hill toward the building.

Ryan watched Trace slowly circle the building, occasionally peeking up into a window. Finally, the porygon floated up to the telephone pole and dissolved into the wires. Ryan went behind the rise of the hill to shield himself from the view of anyone who might be in the building and released Cutter from his poké ball.

 _What's going on?_ Cutter asked.

"I just sent Trace to try to get into their system," Ryan replied. "He'll probably be awhile. You know how much he enjoys this sort of thing."

 _Yes, I do,_ Cutter said. _I could tell you some stories about some of the things he... Wait, is that him?_

Ryan looked where Cutter was pointing and saw that Trace was, in fact, flying back toward them. "That was fast," he said as Trace drew near. "What did you find?"

Trace shook his head and emitted a series of short, choppy chirps.

 _He says he found no electronic systems of any kind,_ Cutter said. _No networks, no surveillance systems, nothing._

Trace projected several photos in sequence - images taken through the dirty windows showing the building's cavernously empty interior.

"Nothing? But what about all the traffic that's supposed to have been here? All the deliveries?"

 _Perhaps the information Gerard provided was incorrect?_

Ryan shook his head. "Trace double-checked the building's ownership himself. It definitely belongs to Xenon. And the deliveries were too recent for all that stuff to have been used up already. The only way that much stuff could disappear is if it was all loaded back into trucks and shipped right back out. But why would they do that?"

 _Perhaps to hide the materials' true destination?_ Cutter offered.

"I doubt it," Ryan said. "If they were trying to do that, they wouldn't have sent all of it to one place before shipping it back out. All that traffic in one spot is bound to draw attention to it. I mean, it's practically a beacon for anyone who's looking for..." His voice trailed off and a look of alarm flashed across his face.

 _What's wrong?_

"We need to go. Now." Ryan grabbed Cutter by the arm and hurried toward where he'd left his motorcycle. But before they made it even halfway there, he saw several shadowy shapes moving out from among the rocks.

"Over there!" one of them shouted, pointing toward Ryan and Cutter.

A flare of orange light briefly illuminated one of them as they flung a ball of fire from a black-gauntleted hand that burst against the ground near Ryan.

"We need him alive, you idiot!" shouted a man - the largest of the bunch - who blocked their path ahead.

As they drew near, Ryan could see that there were five of them, and they all wore black gauntlets. Ryan swore, then snatched his staff from his back with one hand while quickly hitting the poké balls on his belt with his other hand, releasing his remaining pokemon. Spike looked around at the approaching figures in bewilderment while Buster almost immediately dropped into an aggressive stance.

A long, green tendril whipped out from the gauntleted hand of one of the body armor-clad men on their left, striking Trace with an audible crack.

"Cutter, go after that guy on the left," Ryan said, pointing at the one who'd just struck Trace. "Buster, Trace, take the ones on the right, and watch out for the one throwing fire."

The three pokemon took off after their targets while Ryan, staff in hand, charged ahead. One of the two remaining black-clad men rushed forward to meet Ryan. He flung a hand toward him and shot an ice-blue beam of energy that Ryan narrowly avoided by diving to the ground. Ryan rolled back to his feet and whipped his staff around in a high arc, striking the man across the side of his head. Before the ice-wielder finished falling to the ground, Ryan was already back in motion, rushing at the larger man ahead.

Even taking into account the bulk of the body armor, Ryan could see that the one before him had a large, muscular body. Ryan made a quick, low feint with his staff, then swung the other end around high at his head. The huge man quickly brought one arm up to block the strike, which rebounded with a _clang_ as if it had struck solid rock, then immediately drove his other fist into Ryan's midsection.

Ryan staggered back from the sledgehammer-like blow which drove the breath from his lungs and nearly made him drop his staff. Around him, the cries of man and pokemon filled the air. As much as Ryan wanted to look at the battle raging behind him, he didn't dare take his eyes off the man in front of him. With his gut still wrenched with pain, Ryan pulled himself upright and held his weapon ready.

The large man shook his head and smiled. "As fun as this is, we have a job to finish." He thrust out a gauntleted hand and a bolt of lightning shot forth, blasting into Ryan. Pain exploded through Ryan's body as he went rigid, all his muscles pulling taut at once. The feeling of the ground smacking against his face was muted by the empty blackness filling the edges of his blurry vision. A ringing, rushing sound filled his ears through which the sounds of battle filtered in as though from a great distance. The sounds quickly faded until at last, the blackness swallowed him entirely.

# # #

Consciousness returned slowly for Ryan. His body responded sluggishly to his desire to move, and even then, he was unable to rise. When he opened his eyes, he saw why.

He lay strapped to a gurney, surrounded by monitors connected by wires to pads affixed to his skin. Transparent bags of liquid hung on a stand at his side. He followed the tubes to their endpoint, where they terminated in a needle inserted into the back of his hand.

"Ah, you're awake." The voice had a pleasant, almost musical sound to it.

Ryan turned as much as his restraints would allow to find its source. "Who's there?"

A red-haired woman leaned over him and shined a light in each of his eyes. "No apparent head trauma. Good. I'm glad that at least some of them can follow directions."

That's right, there had been a fight. No, it was an ambush. The men with the gauntlets had been waiting for them. That meant he was probably...

"You must be wondering why you're here." She turned toward one of the monitors and jotted down some of the information displayed there on a tablet she held in one hand. "You and your friend caused a lot of trouble for us in Angel City."

Ryan waited for most of the fuzziness in his head to clear before responding. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't bother playing dumb, Ryan. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Ryan went silent at the use of his name and his mouth went suddenly dry.

"Yes, we know who you are, not that it was hard to find out after you exposed Doctor Talbot's research at NuGen. And don't bother denying that you broke into our Angel City facility. Your face was all over the surveillance video. So, to answer the question you're probably afraid to ask, you're here to help finish the work you interrupted."

"You mean the weapons you're developing?"

She gave him an innocent look. "Weapons? We aren't making weapons."

"Now who's playing dumb?" Ryan shot back. " We know what you're doing, using pokemon to make those bio-tech weapon gloves. I saw the stuff in Talbot's lab at NuGen - the tanks, the encrypted files, 'Project Prometheus'. It's the same setup you had in Angel City. We saw it all - the gauntlet assembly rooms, the biological samples. We know everything."

The woman barked a laugh. "You know nothing. The gloves aren't a weapon. They're merely an interface for the tissue implants."

"Tissue implants?"

"That's right. Project Prometheus isn't a weapon, it's a process for human augmentation - to give people the abilities of pokemon."

Ryan's mind raced to process this new revelation. He knew they were using pokemon for an illegal purpose, but human augmentation? This was more than any of them had suspected. Of more immediate concern to him was his current predicament. This woman was being far too forthcoming about their operation, likely because they had no intention of letting him leave here alive. He needed to keep her talking.

"So why kidnap me? It looks like you've already got everything working just fine. And just so you know, there are people who know that I went out to investigate one of your facilities tonight. If I don't come back, you guys will be the prime suspects. Good luck doing your dodgy shit with that kind of heat on your ass."

The woman shook her head. "Once again, you're wrong on all counts. First of all, the project is far from complete. You see, the gloves were only a stopgap measure to get things working - a proof of concept, if you will. You see, even with the proper training, the human nervous system isn't well suited for controlling pokemon tissues. Our bodies don't produce enough of certain kinds of neurotransmitters that pokemon produce more abundantly. That's why I'm currently developing a serum which will stimulate production of these neurotransmitters which should allow the subject to control their implants directly without the use of external devices. That's where you come in. I need a test subject and, unfortunately, volunteers are in very short supply as of late."

Now it all made sense. Ryan remembered his encounter with Uxie in the forest, about the abra that were found catatonic with their neurotransmitters depleted. They must've been harvesting them to create this serum.

"And as for anyone who might be looking for you, well," she leaned over him and smiled, "people disappear every day."

Ryan looked up at her with hardened eyes. "You don't seriously expect me to help you?"

"It would be in your best interests if you did. The serum's neurotransmitter levels must be precisely adjusted. If I have to use a blind trial-and-error approach, there is a high likelihood that you will suffer permanent and severe brain damage. With your feedback, I can more accurately adjust the formulation and there would likely be little or no lasting harm. Plus, I'm hoping that once you see our work come to fruition, you might want to become a part of it. Just imagine the possibilities! You could have the powers of any pokemon you want - fire, ice, even a living metallic body. It truly is an amazing opportunity. You've seen firsthand the power the prometheans wield. Why don't you at least think about it?"

"Why don't you swallow a rapidash's fat, flaming..."

"Don't be vulgar. I'd like to think we're both above such things." She picked up a syringe and filled it with an orange liquid from a small glass bottle. She then inserted the syringe into a port in the IV tube and slowly injected its contents. "I'm only trying to help you, after all, but the choice is yours. Either way, I'll get the results I need."

Ryan felt a warm, tingling sensation where the IV tube entered his hand. It slowly crept up his arm, then his vision began to blur and an overpowering stench of rotten bananas washed over him.

"It's too bad that your friend didn't come along. There are subtle differences in female brain chemistry that need to be accounted for, but I suppose I'll have to make do with just you." The woman picked up her tablet and tapped its screen. "Now, are you experiencing any tingling or numbness in your limbs?"

# # #

A dull, throbbing headache greeted Cutter upon his return to consciousness. He opened his eyes, slowly pushing himself upright, and saw to his dismay that the sun was high in the sky. He looked around and saw that Trace, Spike and Buster lay unmoving on the ground.

He went to Buster's side first. Large, black scorch marks marred the metalleon's fur where he'd been hit with fire. Cutter leaned low in front of Buster's snout and was relieved to feel breath on his face. He placed his hands lightly on Buster's side and sent pulses of healing energy into his body. The scorch marks began to recede and, shortly after, Buster's eyes fluttered open.

The metalleon shot to his feet and immediately began looking around. His eyes fell upon the other two pokemon who were still on the ground and he raced toward each of them in turn, barking loudly. Then he suddenly stopped, looked around again, and began fervently sniffing the air and ground in turn. After a few moments of this, he stopped and began barking again in a higher pitch.

Cutter placed his hand on Trace, suffusing the porygon with a healing glow. _He's gone, Buster. Those men who attacked us took him._

Buster froze, his eyes hardening, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

 _Don't worry. We're going to get him back. I don't know how, but we will._

With Trace roused, Cutter moved on to Spike. The little pichu had been slow to join the battle which allowed one of their attackers to get the drop on him and quickly take him down. While Cutter was healing Spike, Trace floated up next to Cutter and made a series of electronic beeps and trills.

Cutter immediately stopped, focusing on the porygon. _Wait, you know how to find Ryan? How?_

Trace beeped again and nodded toward the telephone pole he had checked before, then immediately took off toward it. As before, he dissolved into a scattering of tiny facets which flowed into the thick wires.

Cutter resumed his ministrations on the pichu until, at last, it slowly opened its eyes. It glanced around, twitching its large, angular ears, then looked up at Cutter with a questioning squeak.

 _I don't know, Spike. Very bad men took him away._

Spike's ears drooped and his eyes fell as he uttered a small, plaintive squeak.

 _No, it's not your fault. Those men were very powerful and the rest of us couldn't stop them, either._

After several long minutes, Trace reappeared. He projected a holographic map overlaid with tiny X's accompanied by time stamps which traced a long path, ending in an area which looked like where they were ambushed. A solitary X, circled in red with the most recent time stamp, was positioned some twenty miles away.

 _Ryan's cell phone! They probably would've taken it from him, but it looks like it updated its position before they did. Are there any Xenon-owned facilities in that area?_

Trace nodded, then projected a street map with an arrow pointing at a large building.

 _Good job. Now I want you to go back to that line and send a message to Stacy telling her everything that happened here. After that, come back here immediately._

Trace chirped questioningly.

 _No, we're not going to wait. We're going to get him back ourselves. Now, hurry._

Trace nodded, then floated off toward the telephone pole once again.

After watching him go, Cutter turned back toward the immediate area and spotted Ryan's staff lying on the ground. He picked it up then hid it among some bushes near Ryan's motorcycle. Ryan would just have to come back for them later. After they rescued him.

Cutter felt a tap on his leg and looked down to see Spike looking up at him. The little pichu gestured with both arms and squeaked animatedly.

Cutter knelt down to get closer to eye level with him. _I understand wanting to help, but I'm not sure you're strong enough._

The pichu's ears drooped and his eyes went to the ground.

Cutter pondered for a moment. _But, I think I could teach you something that might change that. Would you like that?_

Spike nodded emphatically with spirited squeaking.

Cutter placed his hands upon the pichu's head and concentrated. Suddenly, Spike's large eyes bolted open wide and began darting frantically to and fro as if following some unseen thing moving at breakneck speed. The pichu quivered in Cutter's grasp, uttering short, rapid mewling sounds until finally, Cutter felt him sag. Cutter shifted his hands under the pichu's arms to hold him upright.

 _Are you alright?_ Cutter asked.

Spike slowly stepped backward, blinking, then nodded.

 _It would've been easier to do it slower, but unfortunately, we don't have the time for that._

Spike smiled and bright arcs of electricity began to play across his cheeks.

Cutter held up a finger. _Not now. Save it for when it's needed._

Cutter saw Trace approaching and stood. The porygon stopped in front of him and emitted a long series of chirps and twitters.

 _Good. Now, let's get moving. We have a lot of distance to cover._ Cutter spotted a herd of gogoat grazing on a nearby hill and smiled. _And I know just how we're going to get there._

# # #

Cutter peeked around a dumpster at the clean, two story building across the street. It sat nestled among a row of other commercial buildings and was surrounded by a plain chain-link fence. Cutter turned to Trace who hovered nearby. _This is the place?_

Trace bobbed in the air and beeped affirmatively.

Buster looked up at Cutter, uttering a low bark.

 _I know, which is why we'll have to move quickly. We go in hard and fast and get Ryan out._ Cutter locked eyes with each of the other pokemon. _No matter what it takes._

A chorus of agreement went up from the pokemon, including Spike, whose face bore a steely expression.

 _Then gather around,_ Cutter said, beckoning. _I'm teleporting us in._

# # #

The room where Ryan lay strapped down was still and quiet, the medical monitors beeping softly in the background the only sound disturbing the silence. The red-haired woman had left some time ago, though for Ryan, it would be impossible to say how long it had been since he'd faded in and out of consciousness several times since then. Ryan's eyes slowly opened as he drifted back into consciousness once again. He turned his head, his jaw moving wordlessly, and a thin streamer of spittle dribbled from his mouth onto the gurney.

In an instant, the silence was shattered as the door flew open and a man tumbled in, screaming, with a cluster of metal spikes protruding from his shoulder. The man pulled a handgun from his belt and fired a quick burst of shots through the doorway. Ryan's metalleon leapt into view in a gray blur, clamping his jaws around the man's wrist and wrenching it savagely back and forth until the gun dropped from his blood-streaked fingers. Cutter followed close behind and, with a single punch to the guard's face, stilled his struggling. From beyond the door could be heard a cacophony of tumult and panic.

Cutter quickly surveyed the room and, seeing Ryan, raced to his side. With a few quick swipes of his arm blades, he cut Ryan free from his restraints. Ryan's eyes stared vacantly past Cutter as he leaned over him, his face slick with his own saliva. Cutter gripped Ryan's shoulders and gently shook him. _Ryan, are you okay? We have to get out of here!_

Ryan muttered something unintelligible and weakly held up a warding hand.

Buster joined Cutter at Ryan's side, putting his forepaws up on the gurney. He poked Ryan's face with his snout, whining, then turned to face Cutter.

 _I don't know what's wrong with him, but we can figure that out after we get him out of here._

Cutter quickly pulled off the monitor wires stuck to Ryan's body then removed the IV tube as carefully as he could. He then pulled Ryan's arm around his shoulders and dragged him from the gurney. _Try to walk, if you can,_ he said.

Ryan's legs moved awkwardly in a lurching walk as Cutter half-carried him through the door and up the stairs beyond. As they neared the top, another armed guard appeared, blocking the doorway with his gun drawn. Seeing the group of pokemon, he took aim at Cutter.

With a high-pitched squeal, Spike leapt forward, blasting the guard with bright, flashing arcs of lightning from its cheeks. The guard cried out and fell backward against the stairs, convulsing rigidly, and his weapon slipped from his grasp. He slid down several steps before coming to rest in front of Spike who leapt up on his chest, squeaking angrily, with sparks dancing across his cheeks.

Cutter heard a low moan from Ryan, who had his hand pressed to his head. _We have to keep moving,_ Cutter said.

The group came up from the stairs and through a back room before emerging into a large, open area filled with clusters of large boxes stacked on wooden pallets. They made their way through, stepping around the fallen forms of two guards they had dealt with on their way in. The clothing of the first was crisscrossed with electrical scorch marks while the second had the ragged, bloody appearance of someone who'd been mauled by a wild, vicious animal. Several employees in light business attire raced down the stairs leading from the second floor clutching folders, purses or their own chests. Trace moved toward them, buzzing threateningly, and fired several Ice Beams, herding them away in a screaming panic.

Suddenly, Ryan let out a strangled cry, then went limp against Cutter.

The gallade paused to hoist Ryan, now a dead weight, higher upon his shoulder. _Keep going and don't let anyone near!_ he called to the others.

Despite the added load Cutter now had to carry, they quickly made their way to the front door and emerged out into the sunlight. Ahead, the parking lot was quickly emptying of vehicles as the workers fled. Cutter started directing the group toward an alleyway across the street. They needed get out of sight, then find a place to hide where any pursuers wouldn't easily catch up to them.

As they made their way across the asphalt lot, the air ahead of them began to twist and stretch, drawing in on itself. When it snapped back to normal, five black-clad men stood at the far end of the parking lot, blocking their escape.

It was the same men who'd ambushed them before.

The largest one - the one who'd taken Ryan down - touched a forefinger to his earpiece and listened for a moment before nodding. "We're to take the subject back into custody," he said to the others. "Kill the pokemon. Firearms only."

Cutter's mind raced as the armored men began unslinging automatic rifles from their back. These men were too powerful to fight and there was no way to outrun them, not with Ryan hanging from his shoulders as dead weight. Only one option remained.

 _Everyone, gather in close, now!_ Cutter said.

It had to be somewhere far, but not too far, and it had to be somewhere familiar. But they'd only been to one place even remotely close to this area and it was quite far indeed. And while he had grown stronger from the training and intense battles of the tournament, this was still far beyond what he would consider attempting in any other circumstance.

There was no other choice. He wasn't going to let them take Ryan again.

He psychically took hold of the surrounding space and pulled, gathering it around them. Through the enveloping bubble of distorted space, Cutter saw the five men break into a run toward them, dodging around the last of the fleeing cars. Cutter gritted his teeth and began pushing the bubble inside-out from the center, threading it toward the distant point pictured in his mind. The farther he pushed, the greater the strain that built in his head - at first a dull pressure, then sharpening into prickles of pain.

The closest of the armed men, having reached a clear vantage, leveled his weapon at them.

Heedless of the pain lancing through his head, Cutter gave a desperate push with every ounce of psychic power he had left and he felt the extruded thread of space take hold at the destination held in his mind. He let go of the bubble which instantly tore free of its surroundings, dragging them along with it as it streaked toward the anchor at the far end like a snapped rubber band.

Then, with a deafening crack, the bubble tore open and Cutter felt himself sailing through the air. He landed roughly in a tumble, coming to rest face-down on a soft, yielding surface. He lay panting on the ground, motionless, his eyes squeezed shut in pain while a loud ringing filled his ears and spots of light flashed through his eyes.

Finally, the pain subsided and the ringing in his ears was replaced by the gentle rush of flowing water. He opened his eyes and pushed himself slowly off the sandy ground. Forest surrounded them on all sides except for a U-shaped bend of river which flowed nearby - the swimming spot that Stacy, Christina and Jennifer had brought them to on their camping trip. He looked around and saw Ryan and the other pokemon scattered about on the sandy beach, then exhaled a sigh of relief.

They made it.

Cutter crawled to where Ryan lay, his eyes still closed.

 _Ryan? Can you hear me?_ Cutter asked, his mental voice barely managing a whisper. When Ryan gave no reply, Cutter leaned in close, listening with his psychic sense.

He heard nothing.

 _Ryan?_ Cutter repeated, his voice stronger but now edged with panic. _Ryan, you have to wake up!_

The other pokemon slowly began to gather around. One by one, they called out to him, their pleadings mixing into a mournful chorus.

But Ryan did not stir.


	12. Heart of Darkness

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Heart of Darkness**

On a small beach alongside a river surrounded by the peaceful stillness of the forest, Ryan's pokemon huddled around him as he lay unconscious upon the sand. And though all had tried to rouse him, nothing had yet succeeded.

Cutter carefully checked him for injuries, finding none except the small puncture made by the IV line that had been removed. He chewed his lip in frustration and bewilderment. Clearly something was wrong with him, but he couldn't tell what.

He turned to Trace. _I need you to go find a place where you can get ahold of Doctor Lynd. Tell her where we are and what's happened._

Trace gave an affirmative beep then floated off into the trees.

After watching the porygon go, Cutter turned his attention back to Ryan. He placed his hands upon Ryan's chest and closed his eyes. He dredged deep within himself for some scant bit of remaining psychic power and began forming it into pulses of healing energy to send into Ryan. He only managed a few seconds worth of the attempt before falling backward in exhaustion.

 _Stop that_ , came a distinctively strong and clear psychic voice from off to the side. _You're going to hurt yourself._

Cutter turned and saw a tiny, yellow-headed pokemon floating toward him from the trees.

 _Uxie?_ Cutter said in surprise as he slowly pushed himself upright.

 _Be still. You're in no shape to help anyone, right now._ Uxie looked up into the trees toward a pair of staravia perched high in the branches. He pointed off into the forest and the two bird pokemon immediately took off in that direction. _Now tell me exactly what happened before you came here._

Cutter watched Uxie float over above Ryan's head then place his twin tails against Ryan's temples. As Cutter recounted the tale of their escape, Uxie hovered there, his lidded eyes drawn taut in an expression of great concentration.

Shortly after Cutter finished, the two staravia returned. They landed near Cutter, each dropping a single red berry at his feet before flying away.

 _Eat those,_ Uxie said without turning. _If you plan on being of any use here, you'll need the pick-me-up._

Cutter picked up the pair of leppa berries the staravia had left and popped them into his mouth one at a time. Their piquant flavor immediately roused his senses, sending a warm sensation spreading from the pit of his stomach, reinvigorating his body and mind.

 _Better?_ Uxie asked.

 _Yeah,_ Cutter said, standing _. So, how did you find us?_

 _I've been keeping an eye on you. Don't get the wrong idea, though. You're not the only, or even the most important thing on my plate, so don't expect me to be around every time you get yourself into a pickle. Truth be told, though, with the sound of that space-mangling travesty of a teleport you performed, I probably could've found you from halfway across Aureus. I can only imagine the apoplexy Palkia would..._ Uxie paused, his face briefly falling, then he quickly collected himself. _But I digress. You're concerned for your friend, here, and with good cause. His neurotransmitter levels are thoroughly unbalanced._

 _Can you fix it?_ Cutter asked.

 _I already have. Unfortunately, the damage has been done. He's been prematurely activated and now... this._

Cutter frowned. _Wait, what do you mean 'prematurely activated'?_

Uxie drew back in astonishment. _You mean you didn't know? Ryan is a latent psychic._

 _What? Ryan, a psychic? How?_

 _Yes, he's a psychic and one with considerable potential, unless I'm much mistaken. As to how, these abilities are hereditary. One, or perhaps both, his parents likely possessed psychic talent as well._

 _How long have you known?_ Cutter asked.

Uxie made a casual gesture. _Since I first met him, actually, back when we found that catatonic abra near here._

 _I admit, I've always found it easier to talk to Ryan than most, but I never thought... But if you knew, why didn't you say anything? And what does this have to do with his current condition? What's wrong with him?_

 _At our first meeting, I could tell that Ryan was a headstrong individual with a bit of an impetuous streak to boot, as I'm sure you are well aware. I was concerned that telling him would induce him to seek to accelerate his psychic development, so I said nothing so as to allow his abilities to manifest naturally, in their own due time. You see, human psychics aren't born with their abilities turned on. They develop slowly over time. This gives their brain time to develop and strengthen their natural defenses against external stimuli. In Ryan's case, his abilities were forced to activate prematurely by whatever was done to him. He is now suffering from a condition that human doctors call 'Traumatic Psychosensory Internalization'. His mind has turned in on itself in a forced, comatose dream state as a defense mechanism against outside intrusion, likely brought on by the screaming hordes you passed in your break-out._

Cutter's face fell. _So this is my fault?_

Uxie shook his head. _Be assured, your removal of him from that place was well-done. Had he remained, it is likely he would've fared far worse._

 _How long will he be like this?_

 _It's hard to say,_ Uxie replied. _He may come out of it in a matter of days or even hours. Or it could take much longer. It all depends on how deeply his mind has retreated into itself._

 _Even when Ryan is sleeping, I can hear his mind if I listen. Now,_ Cutter paused to cast a worried glace at Ryan, _I can't hear anything at all._

 _Even I can only hear his mind now with great effort._

 _So what does this mean?_ Cutter asked.

 _It means that it could be a very long time before he wakes up, if he wakes up at all._ Uxie floated up before Cutter. _You should know that, as bad as this seems, it could have been much worse._

Cutter blinked in surprise. _You just told me that he might be in a coma for the rest of his life! How could it possibly be any worse?!_

 _The mental shock could have caused him to go insane, his mind irreparably broken. I've seen this happen to premature psychics before. Sometimes the shock is so great that it kills them. Sometimes, though, such a death does not come quickly. I've seen that, too._ Uxie shook his head sadly, then focused back on Cutter. _Take solace in this: I believe that none of those things happened to him because of you. His daily exposure to your psychic stimuli likely helped to strengthen his mind and promote its own natural psychic development._

 _Isn't there anything we can do?_ Cutter pleaded.

Uxie paused in thought. _Possibly, though there is no guarantee it will work_.

 _What is it?_ Cutter asked anxiously.

 _It may be possible to make direct mental contact with his psyche in order to draw him out of his dream state - no mean feat considering that his mind is actively blocking out all outside stimuli._

 _Okay, well, if there's a chance it could work, then do it._

 _Not me. You._

 _Me?_ Cutter said, with mild incredulity. _But you're the master of the mind. I couldn't possibly do this better than you._

 _This is true, but right now Ryan's mind is going to reject any kind of foreign contact, which includes me. You, on the other hand, are familiar to him. His mind is accustomed to your psychic presence. You've become a fixture, as it were, in his consciousness._

 _I see. So how do I do this?_

 _Before you agree, there's something else you should know. You won't be simply reading his mind and communicating with him, you'll be sending your consciousness inside his. And the deeper you go, the harder it will be for you to get back out if Ryan doesn't awaken. It's possible you could become trapped._

Cutter paused for only a moment before responding. _I understand. Let's do it._

Uxie nodded. _As you wish. Lie down next to Ryan, then._

Cutter did as instructed then Uxie hovered above them, touching a tail to each of their foreheads. Before Cutter could inquire further, his eyelids drew down heavily and all went dark.

# # #

A kaleidoscope of colors and half-formed images filled Cutter's vision, streaking past in a blur. Slowly, the colors began resolve themselves into a coherent image. He stood near a freeway, heavy with traffic. As the vehicles zoomed into the distance, they grew fuzzy and indistinct, melting into the horizon. Cutter saw that even the ground at his feet seemed slightly streaky and wavered as he stared at it.

 _Cutter can you hear me?_ Uxie's voice echoed, seemingly from all directions at once.

 _Yes, I can hear you. Everything looks hazy and - odd. How should I proceed?_

 _Ryan has withdrawn into his own memories. The hazy appearance is because one's awareness is most acute in one's immediate surroundings. For the rest, the mind fills in the gaps, so to speak, to complete the picture. This actually works to your advantage. Simply make your way toward the areas that are more distinct and you should find Ryan in the center. It is also important to note that Ryan's mind has retreated far from the moment of trauma. I inserted you as close to the present as I could, but it is likely that the closest memory that I could find him occupying was before he met you. If so, he will not recognize you - at least not consciously - and you will have to proceed accordingly._

 _Okay, seems simple enough. Anything else?_

 _Yes. Even though I described this as a dream state, that isn't entirely accurate. He is reliving his memories. As such, you will be able to interact with him only while his attention is not focused on another person or event from his memory. Furthermore, you will be unable to affect anyone around you. No one other than Ryan will see or hear you._

 _So catch him alone and I'm basically a ghost to everyone else. Got it._

 _If you have further questions, I will be here. Good luck._

Cutter scanned his surrounding and saw that the clearest images were in the direction of a cluster of buildings just off the freeway - several gas stations and a fast food restaurant. He made his way toward them, searching among the buildings until he finally spotted Ryan eating at a table outside of the fast food place.

Cutter casually strode up to Ryan who was chewing on some french fries. _Hello. Can I talk to you for a moment?_

Ryan turned and when his eyes fell upon Cutter he paused.

Was it a glimmer of recognition that Cutter saw flash across his face? Hope welled up within him, for if it was, it would be a simple thing to convince him to come back with him.

Whatever it was, however, quickly passed.

"What do you want?" Ryan finally asked.

 _I saw you eating here by yourself and thought you might want some company._

"Not really." Ryan took a bite of the hamburger before him. "You can stick around if you want, but you'd probably be happier hanging around someone else. I'm not really into pokemon and besides, I'm taking off as soon as I finish this."

 _Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?_

"Out of Angel City," Ryan said.

 _Why? What's wrong with Angel City?_

"With the city? Nothing, really. It's not for me, though." Ryan paused to take a long sip from his soda. "Too many bad memories."

 _If you're leaving, then maybe you and I could go together? I think if we..._

Ryan held up a hand. "Let me stop you right there, okay? I know where you're going with this and I'm not looking for a little pokemon buddy."

 _Come on, Ryan, I'm not that bad to be around._

Ryan frowned and regarded him with a suspicious look. "How do you know my name?"

Cutter's mind raced for a response as he silently berated himself for the lapse _. Oh, well, you see I'm a psychic pokemon and I heard your name floating through your surface thoughts just now._

"Oh." Ryan paused to finish off his burger then said, "Well, if I were you, I'd stay clear of my thoughts, surface or otherwise. Trust me when I say that the last place you want to be is in my head."

 _Why?_

Ryan fixed him with a level gaze. "Because I'm not a very nice person."

Cutter met his eyes and saw behind their intensity something else - a touch of sadness, perhaps? _You seem nice enough to me._

Ryan breathed out a heavy, irritated sigh then wadded up his now-empty hamburger wrapper. "Look, you seem like a nice guy, or whatever you are, so why don't you go hook up with some lonely little kid and be all happy and shit with them, okay?"

 _Maybe I'd rather hang out with you._

Ryan chuckled. "Then you must really suck at being a psychic because you wouldn't say that if you really knew me."

 _But I..._

"Sorry. Lunchtime's over and I have to get going." Ryan stood then tossed the remnants of his meal in the garbage. Then he paused, looking down at Cutter's dispirited expression and ruffled his green hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find someone nice to hang out with."

Cutter watched Ryan walk to the parking lot, get on his motorcycle and ride off toward the freeway.

 _But I already have,_ Cutter said softly to himself as the scenery around him quickly grew more hazy and indistinct, fading into a uniform gray.

 _Uxie, can you hear me?_ Cutter spoke into the air. _It didn't work. I need to try this one over again._

 _I'm sorry, but now that Ryan has encountered you here, he will remember it and the outcome will be no better. I'll have to send you to an earlier memory if you wish to try again._

 _Well I'm not giving up yet_ , Cutter said. _Send me back in._

# # #

Cutter found himself standing in front of a school with numerous students of adolescent age pouring out of the classrooms, many of whom were proceeding to cars and buses waiting in a parking lot nearby. He quickly spotted Ryan in the throng. Though he looked a few years younger, his features were instantly recognizable. Next to him stood a Hispanic boy who looked to be about the same age as him with whom he was conversing.

"So, what about your hot friend, Kimmie?" The Hispanic boy asked. "You ask her out yet?"

"I was going to, but then she told me she and her family were moving to Johto in a month," Ryan replied.

"Damn. That sucks. Maybe you should ask her out anyway. You still have a month and, who knows, you might even get some going-away action."

"You'd better be careful, Miguel," Ryan said with a chuckle. "She'll kick you in the nuts if she hears you saying stuff like that."

Miguel gave him a playful shove. "You're just afraid she'll say no."

"I'm more afraid she'll say yes. I think it's going to be hard enough to say goodbye to her as it is. Spending a month getting closer to her will just make it worse."

"If you say so. Personally, I think you'll regret..."

"There he is," Ryan said, nodding toward a tall, blonde figure in the crowd. "It's time I taught that son of a bitch a lesson."

Miguel glanced in the direction Ryan was looking then quickly turned away. "Are you sure about this? Messing with Eric has gotten a lot of people hurt. Bad."

"I'm aware of that, Miguel, and need I remind you that it's Eric's who's been messing with me. This has been a long time coming. I'm done running."

"Hey, it's your funeral, man."

Ryan's expression hardened. "We'll see."

Cutter watched Ryan head off down the street without his friend and hurried to catch up to him while he was still alone.

 _Hello,_ Cutter said, trotting alongside Ryan. _Do you mind if I walk with you for a bit?_

Ryan shot him an annoyed look. "Did Kimmie send you? I told her I can handle this myself."

 _No, actually I'm... I'm more like a friend of a friend. I was hoping we could talk for a bit._

Ryan stooped to pick up a small stone from the ground. He turned it over in his hand for a moment before pocketing it. "I'm kind of busy at the moment. Maybe after I'm done."

 _After you're done with what?_

Cutter followed Ryan as he turned into an alleyway where second story apartments hung out over car ports underneath. Ryan sat down against a cinder block wall and took off his shoes.

"There's a certain gentleman with whom I'm currently having a disagreement," he said, removing his long, white socks and shoving them into a pocket. "I need to take a few minutes to sit down with him and arrive at a mutually satisfactory conclusion." He tied his shoes back onto his now bare feet and stood. "Now hurry up and get out of sight before they get here. They weren't that far behind us."

Obviously, Ryan was expecting company and Cutter knew that it would be fruitless to try to talk to him while so engaged, so he allowed himself to be shooed away around a corner until he could catch Ryan alone again.

Less than a minute later, Cutter saw the large, blonde teenager he saw standing in front of the school enter the alleyway accompanied by another boy who appeared to be closer to Ryan's size.

The larger of the two - visibly older than Ryan - stepped forward. "It's time for you pay what you owe, Ryan."

"You mean for the privilege of you not beating me up?" Ryan shot back. "Sure, I'll pay you, Eric. Turn around and bend over. If you want your girlfriend there to watch, it'll cost extra, though."

The smaller kid's face twisted in rage and he surged forward. "You little, son of a..."

Ryan whipped his hand from his pocket, hurling the rock he'd stashed there, striking the kid rushing at him in the face with a muffled crack. He dropped to his knees, screaming in pain and covering his face with his hands.

Eric briefly stared at his fallen friend in surprise then turned toward Ryan. "You're going to regret that," he said in a low voice, then started walking forward with his large hands clenched into fists.

Just as Eric got almost to within punching distance, Ryan rushed in, snapping a low kick that struck the side of Eric's knee, buckling his leg and throwing him off balance. Eric threw a wide, hooking counterpunch which Ryan blocked, then Ryan stepped in and delivered two quick punches to Eric's face followed by a solid kick to his midsection. As Eric bent forward, grabbing his stomach, Ryan whipped a roundhouse kick against the side of his head, sending him to the ground.

With one threat dealt with, Ryan glanced toward Eric's companion who had already started crawling away toward the end of the alley. He quickly took one of his socks out of his pocket and tied it around Eric's ankles, binding them together. "I'll get back to you in a minute," Ryan said before trotting after the other.

Ryan stooped down and grabbed Eric's friend by the hair. "Where do you think you're going? You came to watch a beat down didn't you?"

He looked up at Ryan with blood leaking from between his fingers where his hand was pressed to his face. "I'm sorry, okay?" he pleaded. "Just let me go! I got no beef with you."

Still grabbing him by the hair, Ryan silently dragged him back to where his friend lay then bound his feet with the other sock in his pocket. Ryan then walked around behind Eric and kicked him hard in the back. The alley echoed with Eric's cry of pain.

"You ever pissed blood before?" Ryan asked, leaning over Eric's prone form. "It's the gift that keeps on giving, let me tell you. And you," Ryan looked over at Eric's friend with a malicious grin, "you're going to be in for one hell of a show."

Cutter drew back behind the corner as Ryan began brutally kicking Eric in the kidneys over and over, each blow punctuated by a fresh scream of pain. Here, in Ryan's mind, Cutter could actually feel Ryan's emotions reverberating all around him. Waves of sadistic glee washed over Cutter in a nauseating torrent over and over in time with each blow mercilessly delivered. Finally, Cutter could take no more and he fled, his hands clapped over his ears to shut out the sounds of pleading, taunting, and laughing.

 _That can't be real,_ Cutter thought as he ran. _That isn't Ryan._

Once out into the shifting gray beyond the memory, Cutter stopped and closed his eyes, trying to banish the sickening feel of what he'd just experienced from his thoughts. It was then that he considered Ryan's words from the previous memory. Maybe there really were things here in Ryan's mind that he didn't want to see.

What if Ryan really wasn't the person he thought he was?

Cutter opened his eyes and shook his head. Whatever else might lie ahead, he wasn't going to leave Ryan like this. He owed him at least that much.

 _Uxie,_ he called out to the void, _I need to try again._

# # #

Cutter found himself standing in the front yard of a large house. A tall tree stood in the middle of the yard, its wide, spreading branches draping much of the grassy expanse in a pleasantly cool shade. Sitting against the trunk of the tree was Ryan, his features instantly recognizable, though a bit younger than they appeared in the previous memory - perhaps by a year or two.

Cutter approached Ryan who appeared preoccupied with a small object held in his hands. _Hello,_ he said, putting on a genial smile.

Ryan glanced up and, seeing Cutter, his face took on a sullen look. "What do you want?"

 _Just to talk, if that's okay?_

Ryan shrugged. "Whatever," he said, returning his attention to the toy in his hands.

 _This looks like a nice home you have here,_ Cutter said.

"It's not mine. It's a group home."

 _A group home?_

"Yeah. It's where they send you when you run away from a foster home, because, you know, you should be so-o-o lucky to be in one," he said with exaggerated disdain. He turned away, crossing his arms. "Don't you have somewhere better to be?"

Seeing that Ryan was quickly withdrawing, he quickly cast about for a way to keep the conversation going before his chance was lost completely. His eyes fell upon the shiny toy gripped in Ryan's hand. _That's a nice motorcycle you have there,_ Cutter said, pointing at the toy.

Ryan looked down at the miniature sport bike and turned it around in his hands. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I really like the detail and color on it."

 _I take it you'd probably like to get a real one of those someday._

"Hell yeah, I would," Ryan said, perking up. "In fact, I just got a job so I could save up for one. If I'm careful, I figure I can probably save enough to buy one by the time I'm old enough to get a driver's license. I doubt it'll be a top of the line bike like this one, though."

 _Sounds like you really know how to go after the things you want_ , Cutter said. _You know, I could help you with something along those lines if you want._

Ryan cast a wary look at Cutter. "What do you mean?"

 _You said you don't really like it here that much, right? What if I told you that I could help you find somewhere better to be?_

Ryan chuckled. "If only it were that easy. Once you're in the system, there's no way out."

 _But what if there was?_

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. Cutter saw the glimmer of hope silently warring with skepticism in Ryan's narrowed eyes. Ryan looked toward the house, then back at Cutter.

"What do you have there?" came a voice from the side of the house.

Ryan turned toward the gangly teenager walking toward them. His spindly limbs and long, stringy brown hair tied back into a ponytail gave him the appearance of being much older, but as he stepped closer, Cutter could see that he was probably only a year older than Ryan currently was.

"Nothing," Ryan replied.

The newcomer lit up a cigarette and took a long drag from it. "Doesn't look like nothing to me. Let me see it."

"You can see it from there just fine," Ryan replied.

The tall teen stepped closer. "Don't be a smart-ass with me."

Ryan stood and began walking away. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Hey, get your ass back here!"

Ryan bolted, running down the sidewalk and around the corner, the lanky teen running close behind. Cutter immediately ran after them, but apparently the memory had jumped at that point because as he rounded the corner, the two were nowhere to be seen. Cutter looked around frantically. They couldn't have gone far, because the scenery still appeared reasonably sharp and detailed. A cry of pain caught Cutter's attention and he ran toward its source.

Cutter stopped in front of an apartment complex and saw that Ryan's pursuer had him pinned against a cinder block wall along the side of the parking lot. With his left hand, he gripped Ryan by the throat, while with his right, he delivered a series of punches to Ryan's gut.

 _Leave him alone!_ Cutter shouted, even though he knew that this was but a memory and that Ryan's attacker wouldn't hear him.

The gangly teen stopped and looked directly at Cutter. "What did you say?"

Cutter stood in stunned silence. How had he actually heard him? Before Cutter could respond, he heard a female voice behind him.

"I said, why are you beating that kid up?"

Cutter flinched as a girl not much taller than himself with long, black hair and Japanese features stepped forward directly through his body.

The tall kid looked her over with an irritated frown and said, "Why don't you mind your own fucking business?"

The girl arched a delicately shaped eyebrow. "That was rude. I think you should apologize."

"Fuck off," The tall kid sneered.

The girl's eyes darkened and she strode silently toward him. As she approached, the lanky teen let go of Ryan, who slumped to the ground.

"I don't know what your deal is, but..."

His words were cut off as the girl kicked him squarely in the face. Before he could do more than stagger back a step, she followed with a flurry of punches and elbow strikes which dropped him to his knees. She snatched one of his hands and twisted it upward in a wrist lock then drove him down to the pavement.

"You will apologize to me for your extremely rude behavior," she said, painfully twisting his wrist for emphasis.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the brown-haired bully cried.

Turning to Ryan, she asked, "And why was he bothering you, exactly?"

"He wanted my motorcycle," Ryan said, pointing to the toy lying on the ground nearby.

"Is this true?" she asked the lanky teen. "And don't even think about lying to me."

Another twist to his wrist extracted a cry of pain along with the truth.

"You don't touch him, and you don't touch his stuff. If I ever find you doing so again, I'll break your arm," she said, giving his wrist another painful twist for emphasis. "Now get of my sight." She released her hold and watched him scurry away before turning her attention to Ryan. She knelt down, gently touching his swollen face. "It's not a good idea to let people put their hands on you like that."

"It's not like I could do much about it," Ryan said. "Um, thank you, by the way."

The girl smiled. "You're quite welcome. My name's Kimmie."

"I'm Ryan."

Kimmie gestured off toward the sidewalk and a pancham toddled up to her, chewing on a leaf. "And this is Chop. I was taking him for a walk when we ran into your friend there. Maybe you should think about getting a pokemon of your own to keep the jerks off of you."

"Well, I..." Ryan looked away, clutching at the hem of his shirt as Chop leaned in for a curious glance. "I don't really... I mean, pokemon and I..."

Kimmie pulled her pancham away and put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it." She stood then said, "You know, I think I've seen you around before. You live at that group home down the street, right?"

Ryan nodded.

"Tell you what, if you want, you can come back to my place and my mom can patch you up. Then maybe we can talk about me teaching you some stuff so you don't have to worry about people like that guy," she said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. "How's that sound?"

"Really?" Ryan asked, his battered face brightening.

"Sure. Come on." She helped him up and, after he retrieved his motorcycle, they began walking off together.

 _Hey, Ryan,_ Cutter called after him, but he paid no notice, continuing on with Kimmie and Chop.

The scene began to fade away, all colors dissolving once again into a streaked, flickering gray.

 _Uxie, can you hear me?_ Cutter called out.

 _Yes,_ Uxie's voice echoed around him, _but it's getting harder to pick you out, now. I take it you weren't successful?_

 _No, but I got pretty close this time. If you give me another shot, I think I can get him._

 _I sincerely hope so,_ Uxie said. _You're delving in quite deep, now. Prepare yourself._

# # #

The flickering grays resolved into shapes more distinct but no less drab. A narrow alleyway surrounded Cutter, its grimy walls lined with trash cans spilling over with refuse. A runnel of dark, fetid water ran down its length.

A rustling sound farther down the gloomy stretch drew Cutter's attention and he moved forward toward it. Through the dim light, he saw a dumpster and a small shape perched on the edge of it. As he drew nearer, he could see that the shape was that of a shabbily-dressed child with a small paper-wrapped bundle clutched in its hand. Before he could get any closer, the shape darted away around a corner. As Cutter followed after, the murky scenery seemed to melt past in a disorienting blur, skipping by here and there in jumps.

He watched the child stop at a corner, looking back and forth before ducking into another alley. Cutter edged up to the corner and peered around. He saw the child - a youth on the cusp of adolescence - sitting against the wall near a large cardboard box with the paper bundle held up to his face. The child briefly sniffed its contents - a half-eaten hamburger - before devouring it in a few quick, sloppy gulps. Despite his youthful appearance, Cutter recognized Ryan's eyes in the child's face.

Cutter entered the alley, approaching Ryan's makeshift encampment. He stopped several paces away near a small, broken hibachi filled with ashes and surrounded with a scattering of rattata bones. _Hello, there,_ he said.

"Who are you?" Ryan asked in an unfamiliarly high-pitched voice.

 _Just a pokemon who's passing through._

"Really? I've never seen any pokemon like you around here before. Are you from Child Welfare?"

 _No, what's Child Welfare?_ Cutter asked in genuine bafflement.

Ryan regarded Cutter intensely for a short while before responding. "They say they're there to help people like me find good homes." He paused, looking away, then turned back toward Cutter with eyes full of bitterness and anger. "But they're liars! Each place they put me in was no better than where I left, so I ran away. They tried to find me but I was too sneaky for them, so they started sending pokemon to try to convince me to come back."

 _I see. So, is this where you live, now?_

"Yeah. They haven't come looking for me in a while so I've been able to get a few things put together for myself. It's pretty nice most days. There's a fast food joint nearby so I get to eat better than I used to at first and it's far enough away from the really bad spots where most of the homeless people live."

 _But I take it this isn't how you'd want to live if you had a choice._

"Yeah, well, I don't have a choice though, do I?"

 _Maybe you do._

"What do you mean?"

 _Well, if you don't want to go with the others, then maybe you could come with me. We could..._

"I knew it! You _are_ with them, you liar!"

 _Ryan, wait, I just want to..._

"If you're not with Child Welfare, then how do you know my name? I never told you!" Ryan grabbed a large stick lying nearby and began swinging it wildly at him. "I won't go back, you hear me? I won't!"

 _Please, just listen to me for a…_

Ryan began backing away toward the street. He spotted a small chunk of loose asphalt and flung it at Cutter, striking him squarely on his forehead at the base of his fin. Cutter flinched back from the impact - which actually hurt - but in the moment of distraction, Ryan had rounded the corner, heading out of sight. Cutter gave chase, but when he reached the street, Ryan was gone and the scenery was already beginning to melt into gray.

 _It didn't work, Uxie,_ Cutter said to the void. _He's so different. I don't know how to reach him._

 _That's it, then,_ Uxie's voice echoed. _I'm going to pull you out while I still can. Maybe you can try again later._

 _But if we try to do this again, he'll remember the last attempts and it probably won't work, right?_

 _That is correct._

 _So our best shot is right now, then, right?_

 _Yes, but you must understand, if I send you any deeper, I won't be able to retrieve you. Your only option will be to get Ryan to want to come out._

 _And if I can't?_

 _Then you'll be trapped in his mind._

Cutter crossed his arms, considering. Finally, he said, _Send me in._

 _Cutter, I don't think you understand..._

 _I said, send me in._

There was a long silence in the gray emptiness surrounding Cutter. Finally, Uxie said, _Very well. Prepare yourself._

Cutter saw colors begin to form from the gray and streak by.

Far behind him, he heard Uxie's voice echo distantly, _Good luck to you._

# # #

The transition took significantly longer than the previous ones. When the disjointed images finally resolved into coherence, Cutter stood in the middle of a street in a residential neighborhood. Clean, pleasantly landscaped houses lined either side of the street as far as Cutter could see. The scene, however, had a strange, almost surreal quality as the images surrounding him appeared grainy, the colors faded in places and too bright in others. Even the air around him felt indescribably empty, yet seemed to press in close about him.

Cutter heard a faint barking and a small, distant voice behind him. He turned and saw a pair of figures walking down the sidewalk from which the spotty fringe of indistinct color marking the periphery of the memory retreated - a small boy with tousled hair of no more than seven years accompanied by an equally small orange canine pokemon that trotted alongside him.

The boy stopped in front of Cutter and looked up at him with bright, eager eyes. "Wow, another pokemon! I've never seen you before. Where's your trainer?"

 _I... I don't have a trainer at the moment._ So different was this boy in both appearance and demeanor from the Ryan he knew that Cutter quickly looked around to make sure that the memory was actually centered on him. As it was, were it not for the fact that he'd seen Ryan in progressively younger stages, he wouldn't have recognized him at all.

"Really? Then you can be my friend if you want! What do you think?"

Cutter smiled. _I think I would like that very much._

"I'm Ryan. And this is Rika. She's a growlithe," he said, pointing to the pokemon following along. "I found her all alone one day so I took her home. I couldn't figure out what to name her, but one of my friends at school said I should name her 'Rika' because it means 'howl'. Do you have a name?"

 _Oh, well, I..._

"That's okay. I'll give you a name. My friend said a pokemon's name should go with how it looks. Let's see, you have big, giant cutting blades on your arms that I'll bet can cut through anything, right?"

 _Yes, well, they are quite sharp,_ Cutter said.

Ryan's little face scrunched up in thought. "Cutting blades, cutting, cutting, cut... I've got it!"

Cutter smiled. Uxie did say that Ryan wouldn't _consciously_ recognize him. Apparently, the unfettered mind of this child would allow Ryan's instincts to shine through all the easier.

"I'll call you Slicer!"

 _Wait... Slicer?_

"I know, it's perfect, right?"

 _Are you sure? Don't you think something else might fit me better? Maybe something with 'cut' in it?_

"Cut? What, you mean like Cutter?"

 _It does have a certain ring to it, don't you..._

"Nah, that's totally lame," Ryan said with a dismissive wave. "You don't want people making fun of you, do you?"

 _Making fun of me?_

"Yeah." Ryan straightened his arms at his side and tottered around in a straight-legged walk saying "Cut-ter, Cut-ter," in an exaggerated, robot-like monotone.

 _Um, I don't think..._

"My-name-is-Cut-ter," Ryan continued in his robotic voice.

 _Okay, I'm fairly certain nobody is going to say it like..._

"Trust me, Slicer is way better." He began making slashing motions with his arms, punctuating them with, "Slice! Slice!"

Cutter shook his head ruefully as Ryan whirled around like a dervish, the growlithe hopping and barking alongside him. Suddenly, Ryan seized his hand once again and pulled him off to the side.

"This is my house," Ryan said, leading him into a driveway in front of a pale green, single-story house. "You gotta be quiet, though, Slicer. I don't want my uncle to see you before I can talk to Aunt Rebecca."

Ryan dragged Cutter quickly inside and through the house. The growlithe, meanwhile, detached itself from their company to attack the contents of its food bowl. After reaching a room at the end of a hallway, Ryan pulled Cutter inside and closed the door. Cutter was at once taken by the spaciousness of what appeared to be Ryan's bedroom but quickly realized the effect was mostly due to the near-total absence of other objects that might take up space. The walls were bare and few possessions sat upon the scant surfaces of the sparse furniture.

 _So, have you had your pokemon very long?_ Cutter asked.

"No. I've only had my growlithe for a couple weeks now."

 _You seem quite fond of her._

"She's the best. Uncle Calvin didn't want to let me keep her, but Aunt Rebecca said it would be okay as long as I take care of her."

"RYAN!" an angry, male voice shouted from a distant part of the house.

Ryan's face paled. "You have to hide, quick! I'm not supposed to have other pokemon in the house!" He quickly shoved Cutter into a closet and slid the door shut behind him.

Cutter leaned in close to where the door sat cracked slightly open, peering out into the room beyond. A few moments later, the sound of heavy footsteps was followed by the sound of the bedroom door banging open. An angry-faced man entered the room holding a pair of ragged-looking shoes in one hand while gripping Ryan's growlithe by the scruff of her neck in the other. The man cast the growlithe roughly aside then held the shoes up before him.

"Look what your _pet_ did!" the man exclaimed in a voice that bore a distinct similarity to Ryan's adult voice. "It chewed up my good shoes! Do you know how much these shoes cost me? Do you?!"

"No, Uncle Calvin," Ryan replied timidly.

"This mutt has been nothing but trouble since it's been here! It's bad enough that I got stuck with you for all these years. I'll be damned..." he began punctuating his words by kicking the growlithe, "if I have to take it... from some... stupid... dog!"

The man's last word was followed by a particularly powerful blow that sent the growlithe rolling with a pained yelp.

Ryan rushed forward, grabbing his uncle by the elbow. "Stop, Uncle Calvin! Don't hurt Rika! She won't do it again."

Ryan's uncle shoved him roughly away. "Don't you ever raise a hand to me!" he hissed through gritted teeth. His eyes fell upon an extension cord plugged in nearby and yanked it from the wall. "It's about time you learned some respect."

Ryan slowly backed away, offering pleading apologies, but to no avail. His uncle raised the extension cord and swung it down upon the cowering child before him. A scream split the air as the cord finished its arc.

 _Stop!_ Cutter cried. He pulled at the closet door but found that refused to budge. He frantically threw his shoulder against the door, but the thin wood was suddenly as unyielding as the thickest stone. Again, Cutter remembered that this was not a real door, but a memory of one, and in this memory, no one had come bursting through it. He could only watch as the extension cord rose and fell again and again, the metal tines of the plug biting cruelly into Ryan's back as he lay curled in a fetal ball.

A feral, howling roar tore from the throat of the growlithe and she launched herself at the cord-wielding man. Her jaws bit down upon the wrist holding the cord and Ryan's uncle shrieked in pain, staggering back. The growlithe hunkered down near Ryan fixing the man with a murderous glare as he backed away, holding his bloody wrist. With a snarl, Rika blew a jet of fire from her mouth, catching him on the shoulder.

Ryan's uncle dove down behind the bed, but the growlithe pursued, heedlessly shooting fire at her quarry. By the time she had driven him from the room, the air had begun to fill with smoke as drapes, furniture and even patches of carpet now burned with flames that quickly began to spread. The growlithe returned to Ryan who still lay curled in a ball, whimpering. Bloody cuts now crisscrossed his back, staining his shirt red in long stripes. She nosed at Ryan's face, barking loudly, but she was unable to rouse him. Finally, she grabbed the waistband of his pants with her teeth and began dragging him from the burning room.

The scene began to flicker and jump as the air darkened and filled with smoke. The sound of crackling flames began to draw out and stutter, then the walls twisted and melted away sideways in both directions. A sudden feeling of vertigo washed over Cutter, and he found himself standing outside on the sidewalk amid a flurry of activity.

A crew of firefighters surrounded the house which was now engulfed in flames, directing streams of water at it from long, thick hoses. Several blastoise wearing yellow fire brigade vests and helmets stood at the periphery of the property, using their water cannons to keep the fire from spreading to the adjacent homes. Nearby, he saw Ryan's uncle, his shoulder now bandaged, being escorted away in handcuffs by a police officer. A raucous growling caught Cutter's attention and he saw Ryan's growlithe, muzzled, being dragged away by a pair of men in tan uniforms toward a white van emblazoned with the words "Pokemon Control".

"Rika! No! Don't take her away! It's not her fault!"

Cutter turned toward the voice and saw Ryan lying in the back of a Fire Department ambulance being attended by paramedics who were carefully bandaging the bloody gashes on his back.

"Rika!" Ryan called out again as the growlithe disappeared from view.

The scene flickered again, more violently this time, then tilted and began to slowly fragment.

 _Ryan, wait!_ Cutter shouted as he ran toward the ambulance. _I'm here!_

Before he could reach Ryan, the scenery quickly unraveled around him. Cutter fell to his knees in the disorienting blur as the world drained away around him. Color disintegrated into darkness and the tumultuous racket of voices and sounds faded into a distant, hollow din.

And then, nothing.

When Cutter was finally able to stand, he saw that he was surrounded by a black, silent void. Not even the formless gray between memories remained.

 _Ryan? Ryan, where are you?_ Cutter called out, but the void seemed to swallow his words even as they were spoken.

And so, Cutter wandered the darkness, calling out in vain for a response that never came. Time slipped by, but as it did, Cutter became increasingly unsure as to how much had passed as gaps began to form in his own recollection. Were these times that he'd fallen asleep? Or was he now caught up in Ryan's coma? Were minutes passing? Hours... days... maybe even years?

Finally, after endlessly wandering the empty darkness and losing all sense of time and space, Cutter resigned himself to his fate. He had taken this final chance and lost. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to help his friend when he needed him most, and now Ryan was trapped in a prison of his own mind, alone.

Overcome by bitter sorrow, Cutter collapsed and wept, the sound of his grief echoing in the dark.

Except... something sounded odd about it.

As Cutter listened, the sound of his own tears faded into those of a small child far in the distance. He stood and followed after the faint sound until, at last, he found its source.

Sitting amid the darkness was a small child, curled in a ball and crying.

"Everyone's gone," the child wept. "I'm all alone."

Cutter slowly approached the child who seemed to take no notice of him. _No, you're not. I'm here,_ Cutter said, gathering the child up in his arms, _and I'm going to stay here with you._

The boy's sobbing slowed as Cutter held him until finally he looked up at Cutter with red, tear-streaked eyes. "You... You will?"

 _Yes, Ryan, I will. Until the very end._

"But why?"

 _For the same reason I told you when we first met. Because I like you._

The boy stared up at Cutter for a long time then rested his head against Cutter's heart fin, closing his eyes.

Cutter let out a long sigh and held the boy tightly. At least now, no matter what end came, Ryan wouldn't face it alone.

After a long while, the boy spoke. "It's dark and cold here," he said into Cutter's chest. "I don't want to be here anymore."

 _We could leave this place if you want,_ Cutter said. _Would you like to go somewhere else with me?_

The boy looked up into Cutter's eyes. "Will you still stay with me if we go?"

 _Always._

"Promise?"

Cutter nodded and smiled. _I promise._

A light began to shine from the boy, pushing back the void in a spherical curtain of gray that expanded slowly outward. As it grew, the center of the sphere continued to brighten - from gray to white to a dazzling iridescence of yellows and blues and indescribably brighter shades that filled Cutter's vision until he became lost in the brilliance and all else fell away.

# # #

Ryan slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself upright from the sandy ground. The first thing he saw was the yellow-headed form of Uxie hovering before him. Before he could form a question, Uxie swept forward and touched him on the forehead. Ryan put a hand to the side of his head as he felt a strange tightness settle around it.

"What the... What did you do to me?" Ryan asked.

 _I placed a psychic shield on you. It should last at least until you've developed your own psychic defenses._

"Psychic defenses? What are you talking about?" Ryan paused to take in his surroundings. "And how did we get here?"

 _What is the last thing you remember?_ Cutter asked.

Ryan thought for a moment. "There was the ambush. Then I woke up strapped to a table and there was this red-headed woman... she..."

 _Take your time, Ryan,_ Uxie said.

"She injected me with something. After that, everything got... I don't remember what happened after that."

Cutter then told Ryan everything that happened after the battle, including the rescue and how Ryan became comatose afterward as well as Uxie's revelation about Ryan's abilities.

"So, on top of everything, you're telling me that I'm psychic."

 _Without a doubt,_ Uxie said.

"And when I was out... That wasn't a dream?"

 _Not in any sense you're familiar with,_ Uxie said. _Cutter was actually there with you in your mind._

"I think," Ryan said, looking away, "I need to take a walk for a bit." He then turned and headed off toward the forest.

 _But Ryan..._ Cutter started after him but Uxie put a hand on his shoulder.

 _Let him go. He has been through much. It's best if we give him some time to work through it._

Ryan wandered among the trees, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his eyes upon his feet. When his feet finally grew tired from walking, he stopped and sat, leaning back against one of the many tall sequoias.

Much of the afternoon passed before a visitor intruded upon his thoughts. Ryan looked down at the little yellow ball of fur and ears that sat, chittering at his feet.

"Hey, Spike," Ryan said. "I guess I've been out for a while haven't I?"

The pichu squeaked and took a few tentative steps closer.

"I hear you helped rescue me from that Xenon hell hole. Cutter told me what you guys went through to get me out. You really stuck your neck out for me, didn't you?"

The pichu hunkered down and flashed a tiny spark between its cheeks.

"You know, I've been doing some thinking and it seems like it would be kind of a dick move to let Doctor Lynd send you away to someone else after that, wouldn't it?"

Spike looked up at Ryan, cocking his head.

"I guess what I'm saying is, if you want," Ryan paused, looking uncomfortably off to the side, "you can stick around with me."

The pichu's eyes lit up and he jumped into Ryan's arms, squeaking happily.

"Easy there, big guy," Ryan said with a half-smile as Spike continued to chitter excitedly.

Ryan suddenly felt Spike grow unusually warm. He looked down and saw that Spike's body was suffused with a soft, golden light. He set the glowing pichu on the ground and its body immediately began to shift and grow. His tail lengthened, its single jagged angle multiplying into several and his triangular ears extended into longer, more slender shapes. When the golden radiance finally subsided, Spike's tiny, bulbous body had taken on a taller, more streamlined form.

He had become a pikachu.

"Well, look at you," Ryan said, reaching out to ruffle the spiky shock of fur on his head. "I think the new look suits you."

Spike looked back at his new, longer tail and gave it an experimental waggle, then looked back up at Ryan and nodded.

"What do you say we head back? The others are probably getting anxious at me being gone for so long."

Spike scrambled up onto Ryan's shoulder as he stood, but before Ryan could take more than a few steps, a large, winged form sailing across the sky caught his attention. Though it was far off, the creature's size and unmistakable shape left no doubt as to what it was:

Orion, the hunter - the alpha dragon of this area and perhaps all of Aureus.

As he watched the enormous salamence wheel high in the air, Ryan felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. A sudden roil of emotion, welling from deep within, washed over him causing him to reach out to steady himself against a tree. From within the turmoil came the sound of a voice, echoing as though from afar that trailed away under the sound of his own heartbeat thundering in his ears.

A high-pitched squeak and the feel of a tiny nose nudging into his cheek brought Ryan's focus to the pikachu perched on his shoulder. As the surge of emotion subsided, Ryan watched the salamence make another sweeping circle in the air before turning away and heading back toward the beach where the rest of his pokemon waited.

# # #

 _Ryan!_ Cutter exclaimed, running up to him. _I was starting to worry._

Ryan frowned. "Did you say you were starting to worry? I can barely hear you with this mental block on my head."

 _Yes. I'm glad that you're fine, though. And is that..._

"Spike? Yeah. I decided I was going to keep him and he..." Ryan finished the thought by gesturing broadly at the pikachu on his shoulder. "By the way, where's Uxie?"

 _He's gone. Before he left, he said it was important that I teach you how to protect your mind._

"Great. More for me to worry about. Is it going to take a long time to learn?"

 _No. In fact, he showed me some rather simple exercises to teach you that he said you should be able to quickly master. You'll have to practice them daily until they become reflexive, though._

"Good, because we have bigger problems to worry about. Project Prometheus. We were wrong about it. They're not making weapons. They're making people, Cutter. Well, augmenting them anyway. They're using grafts to give people pokemon abilities."

 _To create living weapons, it seems._

"Yeah, that seems to be how they're using their 'Prometheans', anyway."

An electronic beeping caused them to turn toward Trace who came hovering toward them out of the forest. He floated up to Cutter and made a series of trills and whistles.

 _Trace says Doctor Lynd and Stacy will be here in a couple of hours to pick us up. We're supposed to meet them at the RV parking lot we used before._

"Good," Ryan said. "Then let's get going."

As they all started toward the forest, Ryan stopped Cutter with a hand on his shoulder.

"Cutter, I..." Ryan began haltingly, "I don't know how to..."

 _Don't worry about it,_ Cutter said. _Just know that I meant every word that I said._

# # #

In the rear bedroom of their RV, Doctor Lynd gave Ryan a very thorough looking over before telling him to lie down and rest.

"I don't care if Uxie told you that you're fine or not," she declared. "I'm taking you to see a neurologist tomorrow."

After she left, the RV's engine thrummed to life and they started moving down the road. A short time later, there was a knock at the bedroom door and Stacy appeared.

"I called Gerard and told him what happened," Stacy said. "He said that the League is telling their law enforcement contacts to move on this one."

Ryan shrugged wearily. "We'll see."

"How are you feeling?" Stacy asked.

"Tired. It feels kinda weird getting checked over by a vet, though. For a minute, I swear I thought she was gonna stick a thermometer up my butt."

"Apparently you don't know that my mom's also a registered nurse."

Ryan turned his head, raising his eyebrows. "Really? Wow, that can't have been easy. Good on her, then. I don't feel nearly as bad about her making me take off my clothes, then."

Stacy smiled for a moment then her face fell into a more serious expression. "Mom said I'm not supposed to bust your chops on account of what happened to you, but I..." She visibly fought back a rush of strong emotion, smoothing her features into a semblance of calm before continuing. "I just wish you would've let me come with you is all."

"They would've hurt you, too, Stacy. You probably would've had it worse than me."

"You could've at least let me send Max and Rush with you. If they'd been with you..." She stopped herself short of another outburst. "Never mind. I'm just glad you're okay. I should let you rest."

As she turned to leave, she heard Ryan's voice behind her.

"You can stay if you want," he said.

She sat back down on the bed next to him, laying her hand on his arm as he drifted off to sleep while the RV carried them off into the night.


	13. Debts Owed

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Debts Owed**

Arceus stood looming over the three tiny pokemon assembled before him that were almost identical in form but for the shape and color of their heads. "What have you found, Uxie?" the ancient pokemon asked.

 _The people who have taken Palkia have placed spatial anchors around several of their facilities, preventing travel into them via teleportation. As such, I have been unable to directly reconnoiter these locations. Nevertheless, my covert psychic intelligence gathering efforts have led me to believe with a high degree of certainty that Palkia is being held at their largest facility in central Aureus._

 _That's right,_ Azelf added, _they've got that place locked down and heavily defended with those freaky poké-people_.

Arceus inclined his head. "Excuse me?"

 _I was getting to that,_ Uxie said. _It seems that this same group of humans has taken to augmenting themselves with pokemon abilities._

Arceus tilted his head in thought. "So, that is their aim. This is a troubling development and one which makes Palkia's situation one of even greater immediacy."

 _Well, then,_ Azelf said, _if we know where they're holding him, I say we round up a big 'ol posse of tough pokemon and break him out!_

 _Inadvisable,_ Uxie said. _The various weapons they possess would make such an attempt a horrifically bloody affair and one with an uncertain chance of success._

Azelf huffed in irritation. _Then let's bring in the heavy hitters. What if Groudon came tunneling up into their building in a shower of lava and badassery? That'd throw them off guard. Or maybe we just tell Giratina to go knock on their door?_ A wicked grin spread across Azelf's pixie-like face. _I'd love to see what happens when they piss_ him _off._

Arceus shook his head. "First off, you need to remember that these people have proven able to capture even one as powerful as Palkia, so while Groudon might be able to take them by surprise, the risk of his capture is too great. And as for Giratina, I would not seek his aid unless our need was truly dire. His fascination with antimatter, among other things, is why I have forbidden him from entering this world without my permission."

 _There is a much simpler solution,_ Uxie said. _We simply have Yveltal fly over their facility and then we will be able to simply walk in and free Palkia with none but piles of corpses to impede us._

 _What?! You mean just kill everyone?_ Mesprit exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror. _Some of them are fathers and mothers. What of their families? Some of them might even be pregnant with tiny little babies inside them! They'd be killed, too!_

"Mesprit is right," Arceus said. "We should not be so eager to engage in wholesale slaughter. Our relationship with humans has always been - and must remain - one of symbiosis. Besides, you have all overlooked one important thing. They have shown that they are able to make use of Palkia's power, though they do not fully understand it, and that is what frightens me most. If we move against them with overwhelming force, they will likely try to use his power to defend themselves. Without knowing how to properly use such power, they could cause catastrophic damage to the fabric of space itself and a staggering loss of life - human and pokemon alike."

 _Then what do we do?_ Mesprit asked.

"It is time for Dialga to resume his duties. Only he can remedy this situation without the risk of catastrophe by preventing it from happening in the first place."

# # #

On the lawn outside the Arborea Hills Pokemon Veterinary Clinic, the sound of practice weapons cracking against each other echoed against the trees as Ryan and Kimmie sparred. Ryan's padded staff rained powerful blows upon Kimmie's defenses which she struggled to turn aside. Still, she managed to maintain a measured and methodical defense until she spotted an opening and lashed out with a low, sweeping counterstrike that knocked Ryan off his feet.

"You want to tell me what's eating at you?" Kimmie asked.

On his back, Ryan looked up at her, breathing heavily from his exertions. "Nothing's eating at me."

Kimmie gestured to her pangoro, Chop, who stood nearby. The massive pokemon reached down and picked Ryan up as if he were no more than a small toy and set him down on his feet.

"Come on, Ryan, I know you better than that," Kimmie said. "The only time you used to get this tweaked was when someone beat you up." She crossed her arms and smiled. "Do I need to check you for bruises?"

Ryan brushed away the blades of grass that clung to his shirt. "I'm an adult now, Kimmie. I need to start taking care of myself."

Kimmie's smile faded. "You know, you're starting to act like the old Ryan."

"I thought you liked the old Ryan."

"I was starting to like the new Ryan better - the Ryan who kept pokemon, the Ryan who actually smiled once in a while. Even Chop liked the new you, didn't you, boy?"

In response, the towering pangoro reached around from behind Ryan with one thick arm and pulled him back against his belly with a low murmuring sound.

"I think I liked him better when he was smaller," Ryan said, struggling against Chop's rough, one-armed hug. Once the pangoro finally consented to release him, Ryan stepped away, straightening his rumpled clothing. "Look, there are things a person has to deal with on their own. This is one of them."

Kimmie crossed her arms. "You never used to keep secrets from me before."

"It's not a matter of keeping secrets, it's just... This is personal, okay? Look, if you really want to help, then help me get stronger, okay?"

Kimmie gave him a level look then let out a sigh with a small shake of her head. "Okay, Ryan. Let's take a break then you can do some hand-to-hand training with Chop." She rubbed her right wrist to work out some of the soreness that came from deflecting Ryan's furious attacks. "At least you can go all-out against him and not worry about hurting him."

"Sorry about that," Ryan said, flashing her a bashful look. "I'd be more worried about him hurting me, though."

"He wouldn't do that. At least, not as long as you don't do something awful like, oh," she paused, giving him a mischievous smile, "kicking him between the legs."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have told you about that. For the last time, it was a desperation move and I still feel bad about it, okay? And for your information, Crash already forgave me for it."

The big pangoro crossed its arms and glared at Ryan, which sent Kimmie into gales of laughter.

# # #

From the porch of the clinic, Cutter and Gia watched Ryan - shirtless and sweaty - pound away at Chop's belly while the pangoro looked on impassively, occasionally swiping out with a blow for Ryan to dodge.

 _I'm worried about him, Gia,_ Cutter said to the gardevoir at his side.

 _Why? Is he not taking well to his psychic training?_ Gia asked.

 _Actually, he's doing remarkably well with that. In fact, his progress has been quite extraordinary_

 _Then what's wrong?_

Cutter cast a look at his friend out on the grass. _Ryan's in pain. He tries not to show it, but I can tell._

Gia nodded. _Yes, he has seemed somewhat tense as of late. With his newfound psychic abilities, though, I've found it much more difficult to read his emotional state. Ironic, that. Do you know what's bothering him?_

Cutter paused to collect his thoughts. He'd come to value Gia's intuition, especially on emotional matters, but he didn't want to break confidence with Ryan and reveal anything too personal about him, either. Finally, he decided that an overview should suffice. I _n the process of bringing Ryan out of his coma, he was forced to relive painful memories from his past. I think those things are what he's had on his mind lately._

 _I see,_ Gia said, nodding. _Time often dulls the pain of bad experiences and gives us the distance we need to close old wounds. Sometimes, however, this distance makes it easy to simply ignore the problems of the past and leave them unresolved. When something forces one to face these things again, the pain of those old, open wounds comes back to the fore._

 _So what do you do in that kind of situation?_

 _Typically, the best way to deal with unresolved pain is to face it directly and thereby put it to rest. Humans call this process of address 'getting closure'._

Cutter thought for a while. _Face the unresolved pain... Closure... Yes, that's it. You're exactly right! So many people have hurt him, have taken from him. And I know just who it is that hurt him the most. You're brilliant, Gia, absolutely brilliant!_

Cutter ran off to where Ryan had left his shirt and other personal possessions piled nearby so as to keep them from getting dirty or damaged while he sparred. He grabbed Ryan's new cell phone from the pile.

 _Trace, come out. I need you._

A tiny image of a porygon floated across the phone's screen and a word balloon containing an "annoyed face" emoji appeared above it.

 _Yes, I know you're busy exploring the new phone, but this is important. Ryan needs us._

The word balloon disappeared and Trace's electronic voice chirped inquisitively from the phone's speaker.

 _I need you to track down Ryan's uncle, Calvin Meadows._ Cutter's expression hardened. _There are things we need to discuss._

# # #

After finishing up their sparring session, Kimmie left for the day and Ryan headed back inside to shower away the sweat and dirt from the morning's exertions. Ryan was slipping on his shirt when he heard a knock at the door of his bedroom. "What's up, Stacy?" he called out before the person on the other side of the door had a chance to speak.

"It creeps me out when you do that, Ryan," came Stacy's voice from the other side of the door.

"Why? You have a psychic pokemon. You should be used to it."

"Yeah, I'm just not used to it from you."

Ryan opened the door and saw Stacy standing there with one hand on her hip. Though the lateness of the year had put a chill in the air, Stacy had, for some reason, recently taken to wearing clothing more suited to warmer months. Today, she wore a blue, short-sleeved shirt with a low-cut neckline. Ryan quickly lifted his eyes from the undone top button which revealed an extra bit of cleavage. "So, what's up?"

"Good, you're all cleaned up," Stacy said, running her fingers through his still-damp hair. "Gerard is here and he wants to see us."

Ryan followed her downstairs and outside, where Gerard waited on the lawn.

"I hope you have some news for us," Ryan said.

"Yes, there is much to tell. To begin, out police contacts have passed on what they discovered in the course of their investigation of your abduction. The description you gave of the woman who, um, detained you matches one of Xenon's life sciences researchers by the name of Serena Crane."

"So, the League's deep pockets come through at last," Ryan said.

"Now for the not-so-good news. During the time you were abducted, she claims she was in Gateway City giving a seminar on microbiology to other Xenon employees."

"What? That's a load of crap!" Stacy exclaimed.

"We know this, but there are a roomful of people who claim otherwise."

"Of course they're saying that. They're just covering their own asses," Ryan said.

"I don't doubt it," Gerard said, "but be that as it may, she has many people corroborating her story and you have none to back up yours."

"So does that mean that the police aren't going to do anything?" Ryan asked.

"Unfortunately, with her alibi as strong as it is, there is little that they can do."

"This is bullshit!" Stacy exclaimed. "They kidnapped him! They did - evil things! After everything they did, they just..." She clenched her hands into fists and bit down on her lower lip. She paced back and forth a few times, forcing her anger down with visible effort, though even after she got her emotions back under control, a scowl remained etched on her face. "What was the point of us going through all of this if there's nothing you can do about any of it?"

Gerard looked down and let out a deep sigh. "I deeply regret the pain you have endured at the League's behest and we will not ask you to involve yourselves any further in this matter. I, too, am frustrated at our lack of progress and I can only imagine how you must feel after having gone through so much. I know nothing can adequately compensate you for what you have been through, but I would like to offer both of you something in recognition of your sacrifice."

Ryan and Stacy watched Gerard dig around in the brown, canvas bag hanging from his shoulder.

"For you, Stacy, I have this," Gerard said, holding out a small, silver bracelet.

Stacy took the band and turned it over in her hand. A single sparkling stone, large and round, was set into it that caught the sunlight and refracted it into a myriad of colors. "Wait a second," she said, her eyes fixing upon the jewel, "is this what I think it is?"

"If you are thinking this is a Keystone, then you are correct. They are quite rare, but I think you will be able to make good use of it. Ah, but it is not of much use alone, is it?" He produced another small round stone from his pocket, this one darker and streaked through with bands of red and black. "If I recall, you are quite close with your blaziken, Max, no? If you have him keep this Mega Stone with him, the strength of your bond will be able to awaken an even greater power within him."

She pocketed the Mega Stone, then slipped the bracelet containing the Keystone around her wrist. She tilted it back and forth in the sunlight then slowly ran a finger over the stone's round, polished surface.

"And for you, Ryan, I have this." He pulled a small, black leather band from his pocket from which dangled a small, transparent yellow glassy sphere.

"Is that a Keystone, too?" Ryan asked, taking the object in hand. He touched the stone with a forefinger which he immediately pulled back as it zapped him with a tiny pop of electricity.

"No, I'm afraid not, but it is quite useful, nonetheless. And do be careful. It tends to accumulate static electricity quite easily."

"So what is it?"

"It's a Light Ball - an unusual form of trichobezoar peculiar to pikachu."

Ryan shot Gerard a bewildered look. "A tricho-what?"

"An aggregation of fur swallowed during grooming that undergoes a chemical reaction in a pikachu's stomach that causes it to harden and crystallize."

Ryan regarded the shiny yellow stone with a jaundiced eye. "So basically, what you're telling me is you're giving me a pikachu hairball?"

"Literally speaking, yes, but it's actually quite a bit more than that. When kept in close proximity to a pikachu's body, it acts as a resonant amplifier, greatly increasing its power." Seeing Ryan's skeptical expression he added, "I think, perhaps, a demonstration would best reveal its worth. Would you be so kind as to call your pikachu?"

Ryan put his fingers to his lips and blew a loud, shrill whistle. "Hey, Spike! Where are you at?" he called.

A few seconds later, Spike ambled around from behind the clinic and made his way toward the assembled group.

Gerard leaned down, peering at the electronic device held in the pikachu's hand connected to a set of earphones placed in its long, pointed ears. "This is curious," he said, reaching toward the device. As he did, Spike pulled back, shooting Gerard an angry look with a defiant grunt.

"Oh, yeah," Ryan said, "he's sort of taken over my old MP3 player. I've given up on trying to get it back. Turns out he's totally sprung on techno music."

"Does he actually know how to operate it?" Gerard asked.

"Well, he can work the volume control just fine, but I have to set up the playlists for him. It's the only time he lets me touch it."

"Fascinating. It's uncommon to see pokemon interested in human technology like that. But, back to the matter at hand. He knows how to discharge a Thundershock, yes?"

"Actually, he can do Thunderbolts."

"Truly? That's quite impressive for one so young."

"Cutter taught him how to do it when they rescued me. From what I understand, the little guy really lit 'em up on the way out." Ryan pointed to the large rock sitting nearby which bore marks from their previous target practice before the pro-am. "Spike, hit that rock with a Thunderbolt, but put the music player down first though, or you'll probably fry it."

Spike pulled the earphones from his ears and set the MP3 player on the ground behind him, shooting everyone a quick, possessive glare as he did so, then turned toward the rock. Hunkering down on all fours, his cheeks flashed with electricity which blasted out at the rock, leaving a fresh scorch mark upon its surface.

"Very nice," Gerard said. "A good, strong discharge is indicative of good health. Now, put that collar on him and have him do it again."

Ryan leaned down and affixed the black leather collar around the pikachu's neck. Spike looked down at the small, yellow globe dangling from the collar and poked it with a finger, squeaking inquisitively.

"It's a good color for you," Ryan observed. "Now, try zapping the rock again just like you did before."

A crackling electrical discharge flashed from Spike's cheeks so brightly that Ryan was forced to raise a hand to shield his eyes. When the afterimage of the flash had faded from Ryan's eyes, he saw that the rock now bore large scorch marks over its entire near surface and patches of grass near the rock were blackened as well.

"Holy crap!" Ryan exclaimed, coughing through the acrid ozone that now permeated the air. "That's frickin' amazing!"

Gerard nodded. "It is because of the particular composition of Light Balls that they resonate with pikachu as they do to produce such results, but it is also why they don't resonate with any other pokemon, not even raichu."

Spike stopped to stare at his handiwork, murmuring an intrigued, "Ahhh". A grin then slowly spread across his face and he began capering about and lashing the rock with more electrical blasts, squealing in delight. As he carried on, though, his discharges started becoming more reckless, forcing everyone back to avoid errant blasts.

"Hey, mellow out, Spike!" Ryan said, dodging away from a jolt of electricity that licked the ground near his feet.

"Oh, dear, he seems to be quite excitable, doesn't he?" Gerard remarked as he reached into his shoulder bag, pulling out a pair of thick rubber gloves which he then donned. With a swift motion he reached down, placing a firm, anchoring hand on Spike's back while gently rubbing Spike's cheeks with his other.

The pikachu squirmed at first but quickly began to relax under Gerard's ministrations. Before long, Spike's eyelids began to droop and he sprawled out upon the grass, sighing contentedly.

"You have a very energetic pokemon here, Ryan," Gerard said with a smile.

"And dangerous, too," Ryan said, casting a wary glance at the now subdued pikachu.

"This is not an uncommon reaction, especially for a young one like your Spike. Don't worry, he'll get used to the Light Ball soon enough. If he gets carried away again, just do this until he relaxes." Gerard straightened, facing Ryan once again. "Ah, but it would not be fair of me to only give you this one gift when your friend has received two.

Ryan watched Spike stand up again and stretch his arms high, then collect the MP3 player and pop the earphones back into his ears. "I'm not sure I can handle another gift like that one."

"You will like this one, I promise." Gerard reached into his shoulder bag and retrieved an electronic tablet. He tapped away at its screen for a minute then showed it to Ryan.

Stacy leaned in for a peek then whistled appreciatively. "How'd you get access to that?"

"I still have friends at the University back in Kalos," Gerard replied with a smile.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone. "Hey, Trace, you gotta see this."

Ryan's porygon flowed from his phone in a stream of geometric shapes and assembled itself into its physical form. Ryan pointed to the tablet Gerard held which displayed a screen with the Silph Co. logo. Underneath were displayed the words, "Porygon 2.0 upgrade system. Upload pokemon to begin."

Trace bobbed in the air excitedly, emitting a series of rapid, high-pitched trills.

"If you're that excited, then what are you waiting for?" Ryan said, pointing at the screen.

Needing no further prompting, Trace zoomed toward the tablet and dissolved into it. As soon as he did, the screen changed and began cycling through a series of progress bars indicating completion of various tasks such as "Neural net expansion", "Compatibility bridge" and "Adaptive matrix update".

Once the final progress bar had disappeared, a single beam of light issued from Gerard's tablet which split into a three-dimensional wireframe image that looked like a porygon, though subtly different. The familiar porygon red-and-blue color scheme swept across the frame, revealing a new, smooth-contoured surface in place of the previously angular shape. When the beam finished its sweep, Trace hovered before them in a more streamlined form. Even his voice sounded smoother and more mellow as he emitted a trill.

Ryan reached out and ran a finger over Trace's back. "That's pretty slick. He looks a bit smaller too."

"Smaller, but yet so much more than he was," Gerard said with a smile. "Trace, would you be so kind as to show us the Pokemon League home page?"

Trace's eyes flashed and in an instant, they were surrounded by a panoramic holographic display consisting of numerous panes of pokemon-related information. Gerard reached out to one of the panes which followed his hand as he took hold of it and flicked a finger across it, then oriented it in horizontally. When he released it, the pane projected a slowly rotating, three-dimensional image of a dragonite accompanied by a plethora of statistical information about the winged pokemon.

"Tactile interface," Stacy said admiringly. "Nice!"

Ryan turned as Cutter joined them. "Finally done with lunch?" Ryan asked.

 _Oh, yes. Doctor Lynd had me try out some new types of pokemon food she's thinking of ordering for the clinic and now I'm a bit stuffed. Can I talk to you for a moment?_

"Sure," Ryan said. He excused himself from the others and stepped off to the side with Cutter. "What's on your mind?"

 _There's something important I need to take care of. Do you mind if I leave for a few hours?_

"Why, what's going on?"

 _It's something personal that I have to take care of alone._

"Personal, huh? Is it some kind of pokemon thing?"

 _I suppose you could call it that. It's something that means a great deal to me._

Ryan thought for a moment. "Okay, if it's that important then go ahead. It's nothing dangerous, I hope."

 _Nothing I can't handle,_ Cutter replied solemnly.

# # #

Cutter walked slowly down a street lined with houses and apartments that, while sparsely landscaped, nevertheless managed to exude a kind of rustic charm amid the urban landscape. He peered at the address numbers on the houses, stopping in front of an apartment complex that had the address Trace had discovered.

He crossed the thin strip of grass that separated the stucco-walled apartments from the street and climbed a flight of concrete stairs to reach apartment 2-C. He knocked on the door and waited.

After a short time, the door opened to reveal a man with a familiar face, though now with a touch of gray in his hair, wearing faded jeans and a dark polo shirt.

 _Excuse me, but are you Calvin Meadows?_ Cutter asked. Though he recognized the man from Ryan's memory, he needed to be sure.

"Who's asking?" the man said with a scowl.

 _I'm asking,_ Cutter replied in a serious tone. _I'd like to discuss your nephew, Ryan._

"Ryan? What about him?"

Now that he was sure it was him, Cutter continued his query. _I have some questions regarding his time with you, especially the events surrounding his removal from your care._

"I've got nothing to say about that, especially to some little pokey-man," he said, the last word spoken with obvious distaste. He began to shut the door but Cutter's foot prevented it from closing.

Cutter's amber eyes flashed with a dark red light as he fixed the man with a dangerous glare. _I'm afraid I must insist._

# # #

That evening, Christina sat with Stacy on the floor of her older sister's bedroom. Her pachirisu, Twitch, lay across her lap while she ran a brush through its fur. Stacy, meanwhile, sat nearby trimming the claws of her blaziken's feet which stretched across her lap as he lay crosswise to her on the floor.

"It seems like you've had a lot on your mind, lately," Christina said, slowly working through a tangle in Twitch's tail.

"What do you mean?" Stacy asked.

"Come on, I've known you long enough to know when something's on your mind." She gave Twitch's tail a few more brushes. "You know, if you like Ryan, you should just tell him."

Stacy sniffed, then began working the file in her hand across Max's tough talons with renewed vigor. "What makes you think I like Ryan?"

Twitch rolled over in Christina's lap, stretching herself out.

"I've seen the way you look at him," Christina said, as she obligingly continued her brush strokes on the pachirisu's underbelly. "You know, Ryan's not real big on expressing his emotions so if you like him, you should just ask him out instead of dressing like a skank around him all the time.

"I do not dress like a skank!" Stacy said sharply, which caused Max to briefly raise his head and give Stacy a quizzical look before lying back down.

"Really? What about those skin-tight jeans you've been wearing and that shirt your boobs were practically popping out of?" Christina cocked her head in thought. "Were you even wearing a bra?"

"You know, you've been spending quite a bit of time with him, yourself. You wouldn't be jealous, would you?"

"Get real, Stacy. He's eighteen and I just barely turned fifteen. There's no way he'd be interested in someone as young as me." Christina's eyes lowered to the pachirisu in her lap. "Besides, I think you're more his type, anyway. You're smart and pretty and a world-class pokemon battler."

"I may be good with pokemon, but you're way prettier than me, and we both know it. If I had your looks, I'd have guys crawling all over me."

Christina looked away, feeling her face beginning to heat up. "Yeah, well, I _have_ had guys crawling all over me and I can tell you that it isn't all that great."

Stacy rested her hands on Max's leg, splaying her fingers into the brightly-colored feathers. "You were half-right, though. I have been thinking about Ryan and what those Xenon people did to him. It's really been bothering me, you know. I just can't believe the police aren't going to do anything about it."

"I know, but you heard what Gerard said. They don't have enough evidence to arrest anyone."

"That doesn't mean we have to let them get away with it, though."

The brush in Christina's hand stopped, hovering above her pachirisu. "What do you mean?"

"I think someone should give them a black eye. Let them know they can't just do as they please to one of us without consequences."

"You mean like going after that Serena Crane woman?"

"Believe me, I'd love to but I don't even know where to find her. And even if I did, she's probably too well protected with those 'prometheans'." She looked over at her younger sister. "Have you been keeping up on your training with Crash?"

Christina felt the brush dip as Twitch reached up and pulled it back down against her belly. Christina resumed the brush strokes, then replied, "Yeah, I've been having him do all the exercises you showed me and I even found a couple of other trainers to spar with. Why?"

"The place Ryan investigated was obviously set up as a trap, but the information Gerard gave us about it included the locations of where the shipments were coming from before they went there. Now that Gerard had the cops put some heat on them, I doubt they're still shipping to that dummy destination, but those individual facilities that were shipping to it are still making real shipments for Xenon. I say we pay one of them a visit and do a little supply-line disruption. Give them a little payback. What do you think?"

Christina thought for a moment, then smiled. "Count me in."


	14. Closure

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Closure**

Amid the gardens of his home domain, Dialga listened patiently while Mesprit anxiously recounted the recently unfolding events surrounding Xenon and the Prometheans, concluding her account with the capture of Palkia. When at last she had finished, she waited, looking up at Dialga's grim visage, steeling herself for whatever form his wrath would take.

And then Dialga threw his head back with peals of booming laughter that echoed throughout the garden.

 _Wha... why are you laughing?_ Mesprit asked, her face gone slack with surprise and bewilderment. _Don't you understand? Palkia's been captured!_

"Yes, I know," Dialga managed between gales of laughter.

 _And by very nasty people!_

Dialga's laughter continued undiminished by her pronouncement, but finally, he regained a semblance of composure. "Indeed. I imagine he will find the experience quite unpleasant. And while I think it will teach him a measure of caution and respect for humans, I doubt it will do much to improve his temperament."

 _You can't just leave him like that. They used his own power to capture him and continue to use it to keep us fenced out. You know better than anyone how dangerous his power could be in the hands of people who don't fully understand it. They could destroy the world!_

Dialga gave a derisive grunt "Humans have had the power to do that ever since they learned how to split the atom."

 _This is different, Dialga!_

"Oh, I imagine it is. After all, who cares if humans kill each other by the millions? Certainly not our gracious father. But if one of his own gets in trouble, well, that's different, isn't it?"

 _That's not true. The reason I'm here is because father wants to prevent unnecessary death and suffering._

"Then explain to me why, in the waning years the last great conflict among the nations of men, did father not so much as ask for my help when nuclear fire scorched the lands near Kanto not once, but twice?"

 _Maybe because he knew it wouldn't do any good,_ Mesprit shot back, her pleas giving way to indignation, _because you were too wrapped up in sulking to even want to help. And now, it's happening again! I feel for you, Dialga, I really do. I know how hard it is to lose a friend, but dammit, enough is enough! It's time for you to get off your mopey ass and get back in the game before people die!_

Suddenly, Dialga drew himself upright, his form towering as though it were stretching up into the heavens. "Do not think to lecture me in my own domain, Mesprit," he boomed, the words exploding forth as though spoken by a thunderstorm given voice. "I am not some errant child to be brought to task. The very Winds of Time course through my beating heart, moving at my command!"

Mesprit looked up into Dialga's eyes - bottomless, crimson pits which burned with an unspeakable power - and her breath caught in her throat as the very air seemed to thicken and press in about her with a palpable pressure. With her heart hammering in her chest, she was suddenly reminded of exactly who it was she had railed against and wondered if she had gone too far.

And then the terrible presence abruptly disappeared as Dialga slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the fire deep within them had disappeared and Dialga's form seemed somehow lessened, his great form sagging as if the weight that had pressed in about her had instead been saddled upon him.

"Despite what you may think," Dialga said softly, "I am not merely a petulant child brooding over the past. I know well the chain of cause and effect and the myriad ends that a single act can beget. Yet in all your reasonings, you have failed to consider a single truth that I have learned at the greatest of costs." Dialga's eyes, filled with weariness, focused upon Mesprit. "Time is a thing best left alone."

 _But he's your brother,_ Mesprit said in a small, plaintive voice.

"He and I have never had any love for one another. I do not see why it should be so now. Now, go."

Before Mesprit could speak further, a portal opened behind her and an irresistible pull took hold of her, dragging her tumbling through.

# # #

Ryan and Cutter appeared in a bending of space and a low _whump_ on a dirt road, along which a handful of old, dilapidated buildings lay scattered between open fields of bare dirt and dead grass. Off in the distance, the edge of a city peeked up from the horizon.

"Where are we?" Ryan asked, looking around.

 _The outskirts of Angel City. Please, come this way,_ Cutter beckoned, then began walking along the road.

"I thought you couldn't teleport this far," Ryan said, following along.

 _A month ago, I couldn't,_ Cutter replied, _but I've been getting stronger. Also, Uxie gave me some pointers on how to do it more efficiently._

"I see." Ryan peered at the dusty buildings they passed, taking in the surroundings. "So, why did you bring me out here?"

 _You haven't been yourself, lately. Ever since we rescued you from Xenon, you've been acting differently, and I know why._

"Really?" Ryan responded, not turning his head.

 _You have a lot of old pain you've been carrying around for far too long. Don't deny it. I know you too well. You've buried it deep, but with everything that happened, it all got dredged back up again._ Cutter looked up at Ryan. _You can't keep living your life like this._

Ryan shot him a mildly annoyed look, then shrugged. "All of that's in the past. Nothing I can do about it now."

 _That's where you're wrong. It's time for you to get some closure._

"Closure, huh?" Ryan's mouth bent into a wry smile. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

 _By having a face-to-face with the one who caused you the most pain._ Cutter's eyes drifted toward the horizon and his expression turned serious. _So, I tracked down your uncle and..._

"Wait, you tracked down my uncle Calvin?"

 _Well, technically, Trace did. He's gotten even better at finding things now with that upgrade._

"My uncle's not exactly a fan of pokemon. I'm surprised he'd even want to talk with you."

 _Actually, he didn't. Not at first, anyway._

"So, how did you change his mind?"

 _Well, I wouldn't say that I changed his mind, exactly, but I did tell him that either we'd talk or I'd mentally regress him into a drooling imbecile and stash him in some thoroughly unpleasant and dirty corner in a remote part of the city. Speaking of which..._ Cutter stopped and pointed at a junkyard whose entrance - a wide gate bracketed with stacks of old tires - lay just across the road.

Ryan put a hand on Cutter's shoulder, turning him around. "Cutter, what did you do?"

Cutter looked up into Ryan's eyes. _It's time for some closure, Ryan. It's been long overdue_.

Cutter silently led Ryan into the junkyard, navigating through piles of old appliances and wrecked automobiles until they reached a pocket of space near the back of the lot. A shaggy stoutland lay sprawled out on the ground in its large, fenced-in dog run which stretched along the chain-link fence marking the rear of the property. As they approached, it raised its head, letting out a low _whuff_ before settling back down again.

 _Here we are, Ryan._

Ryan put his hand to his forehead. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I really don't think this is going to help. Yes, my uncle's a son of a bitch, but watching him suffer isn't going to make me feel any better."

Cutter's mouth quirked in a half-grin. _Don't worry, your uncle won't be joining us today. In fact, everyone that needs to be here already is._

Ryan scanned the area. "I don't understand. There's no one here but us."

Cutter regarded Ryan with a mild look. _Are you sure there's no one here you recognize?_

Ryan crossed his arms, his confusion giving way to irritation. "Look, the only ones here are you, me and that stoutland." He waited for Cutter to respond, but when he didn't, Ryan added, "You already know the only pokemon I've ever known was you guys, Chop and Rika."

Seeing Cutter's expression remain unchanged, Ryan shook his head and turned to leave when a flicker of movement drew his eye to the doghouse in the fenced-in area where a large, white-maned, red-orange head peeked out.

 _Looks like you caught someone's attention._

Ryan stopped and stared at the arcanine peering at him from its doghouse then turned toward Cutter. "Wait, are you... are you saying that's..."

 _Why don't you call her and find out for yourself?_

The arcanine's eyes followed Ryan as he took a few steps toward the enclosure. "Rika?" Ryan said in a small voice, barely above a whisper.

The arcanine stepped out of the huge doghouse and drew itself up to its full, impressive height. With the top of its head reaching over six feet tall, this pokemon standing on all fours was as tall as Stacy's blaziken, Max, standing upright. The arcanine strode forward until the chain linking its collar to the doghouse pulled taut. It paused, giving the tether an annoyed look, then, with a toss of its head, it snapped the chain and leapt over the ten-foot-tall chain link fencing in a single hop.

Free of its enclosure, the arcanine walked to within a few paces of Ryan then stopped, sniffing in his direction.

"Rika? Is it really you?" Ryan reached toward the huge canine pokemon but it drew back, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

 _After such a long time apart, I think there is much you don't recognize about one another,_ Cutter said, coming alongside Ryan. He turned Ryan around and lifted the back of his shirt. _Perhaps she remembers this?_

Ryan felt something wet press against the scars on his back. In each place it touched, he felt the arcanine's desert-hot breath against his skin. Then the probing stopped, and he heard a soft whine near his ear. Ryan turned and saw the arcanine's eyes staring into his, bright and clear and full of recognition.

Before he could react, the arcanine surged forward, tackling him to the ground. With her paws pinning his shoulders, she repeatedly lashed his face with her tongue, yelping excitedly.

Ryan lay helpless under her vigorous affection until, at last, she relented and stood gazing down at him. Even through the slick sheen of dog saliva that coated Ryan's face, Cutter could see a fresh wetness gathering at the corners of Ryan's eyes as he gazed up into the eyes of the arcanine looming over him.

With a soft bark, Rika settled her bulk down on top of him and, as she rested her snout against the side of his head, Ryan reached his arms around her neck and buried his face into her mane. For several minutes, the two of them lay upon the ground with only an occasional muffled sniffle breaking the silence.

Finally, Ryan extracted himself from underneath the arcanine and stood. Wiping his eyes, he turned to face Cutter. "How... How did you... When they took her away, I thought they put her down."

 _I know, which is why I needed to talk to your uncle about the details of her removal._

"Why? What would that have to do with anything?"

 _I originally intended to find Rika's final resting place since, as you know, the normal procedure for a pokemon who attacks a human and burns down their house is to..._ Cutter paused and looked away uncomfortably for a moment. _That's why I needed to find out what your uncle knew about where she was taken. Even after I threatened him, he was less than completely cooperative, but he did reveal one important fact: The van that took Rika away had a Pokemon League emblem on it. So I put Trace on it and he discovered that the Pokemon League had, at the time, recently begun a pilot project where some pokemon slated to be put down were instead put through a rehabilitation program and, upon its successful completion, placed in a new home. A little more digging turned up this address._

"But I thought you said I was here to face someone who caused me pain. Rika never did anything like that."

 _Perhaps not directly, but I believe her loss affected you in ways you don't yet fully realize. You see..._

"What's going on back there?" came a gruff voice from behind them.

Ryan turned toward the voice to see a middle-aged man wearing a T-shirt, well-worn blue jeans, and a faded trucker hat displaying the logo of a heavy machinery company approaching them.

"What are you doing with my arcanine?" the man demanded, eyeing the broken leash chain.

"Good morning, sir," Ryan said, quickly composing himself. "My name's Ryan Meadows and I'd like to talk to you about buying her."

The man squinted at Ryan. "Buying her?"

"Yes. Would you consider an offer of five hundred dollars?"

The man gave a derisive grunt. "Five hundred? That would barely even cover what I paid to get her evolved. Not that it matters, though. She's not for sale."

"Then how about eight hundred?" Ryan offered.

"Like I said, she's not for sale."

"A thousand, then," Ryan pressed. "You see, I..."

"No, I _don't_ see. I told you twice already that I'm not selling her. What I am selling is the scrap you see here. Are you here to buy any of that?"

"No, but..."

"Well, then, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Seeing Ryan standing motionless, struggling for a reply, he stepped forward and began shooing him toward the entrance.

As the man placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder to herd him away, Rika rushed forward, teeth bared and barking angrily. The man backpedaled and quickly found himself cornered against a pile of scrap metal with Rika towering over him, growling threateningly. He quailed as she bored into him with a wrathful glare.

"Easy, girl," Ryan said, stepping forward to gently pull the angry arcanine away from the cowering man.

 _Apologies, sir,_ Cutter said, as he helped the man up, _but this arcanine used to belong to Ryan and she is quite attached to him. I understand your unwillingness to part with her, but now that they've been reunited it seems obvious that she has no intention of remaining here. Since Ryan has offered you what I assume is a fair price, I think it would be to your advantage to accept it rather than try to keep a pokemon who will be of no further use to you._

The man cast an apprehensive look at the arcanine then quickly looked away as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. I hope you have the money on you."

Ryan quickly produced his wallet and pulled out his debit card. "Right here."

# # #

Back at the clinic, Cutter and Gia sat watching Ryan and Rika playfully chase each other back and forth across the lawn under the light of the setting sun. Here and there, the large arcanine would turn the tables on Ryan, dashing behind him to trip him up, sending him to the grass.

 _Look at him,_ Gia said as Ryan squirmed, laughing, under Rika's pinning paws. _It's like he's a different person._

Cutter shrugged a shoulder. _I just followed your advice. You see, Rika was the first one Ryan ever loved who loved him back. When he lost her at such a young age, it deeply affected him. He's been carrying that loneliness, that pain for most of his life._

 _What of his parents? Did they not care for him?_

 _Ryan's parents died before he had any memory of them._ Cutter shook his head sadly. _Like Ryan, I also thought that Rika was dead. I originally intended to find where she'd been laid to rest and bring him to it so that he could face the pain that her loss caused him and, hopefully, begin the healing process. Instead, I found something much better._

Gia smiled as Rika plopped down on Ryan's prone form and began relentlessly licking and nosing his face, turning his laughter into spluttering pleas for mercy.

 _You surprise me, Cutter, not only with your insight but your devotion for your friend, as well. I'm impressed_ , Gia said, turning toward him, _and very proud of you._

Cutter blushed and looked away. _I think it's what anyone would've done for a friend._

 _No, it isn't. You're someone very special, Cutter._ Cutter felt her hand upon his. When he turned to face her, she met his eyes and smiled. _Someone very special, indeed._

# # #

Later that evening, Cutter entered Ryan's bedroom and saw him sitting on the floor, leaning back against Rika's side. Buster lay next to him against his outstretched legs while Spike lay on his side in Ryan's lap. Even Trace was present, sitting between Ryan's bare feet.

Ryan didn't look up as Cutter walked in, keeping his eyes down upon the pikachu who lay stretched across his lap with lidded eyes as he slowly ran his fingers through the fur on its underside.

"I never realized how amazing Spike's fur is. Buster's too, for that matter," Ryan said softly. An ironic smile quirked beneath eyes tinged with sadness. "I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've even touched either of them."

Rika's eyes followed Cutter as he slowly crossed the room. The arcanine shifted her hind legs back a bit, then lifted her head slightly to nod toward the spot she opened up next to Ryan which Cutter then settled into.

"They risked their lives to rescue me and I've never even touched them. And then what you did to get me out of that coma..."

 _Don't worry about it._

"You guys have done so much for me even though I've never really been good to any of you." Ryan paused and his expression grew somber. "I don't deserve you."

 _You shouldn't be so hard on yourself,_ Cutter said.

"Why not? You've seen firsthand the kind of person I was, the things I did. In the end, I was no better than the people who used to hurt me. As soon as I became the one with power, I was just as cruel to them as they were to me. More cruel, in fact."

Cutter looked up at Ryan. _So why did you leave Angel City, then?_

"One day I realized that I was becoming just like my uncle - an angry, sadistic asshole who solved every problem with violence."

 _And that's what makes you different. You chose to be something else, something better._

Ryan brushed his fingers through the fur on Spike's chest, which elicited a soft murmur from the drowsy pikachu.

"If you say so."

Silence prevailed in the room as the last light of day faded to darkness, leaving the room lit only by the small lamp near Ryan's bed.

 _When we first met, you asked me why I wanted to stay with you. Do you remember what my response was?_

"You said it was because you liked me," Ryan said with a sardonic half-smile.

Cutter studied Ryan's expression for a few moments then stared down at his own hands. _You remember how I told you that I was part of the second-generation Technical Machine project at NuGen, right? You see, before I was even born, my whole life was laid out in the pursuit of that singular purpose. I didn't know that when I was born, though. The nice people at the nursery played with me and took care of me and I thought that my life would be like that forever._

 _Then my time at the nursery ended and I was made aware of the reality of my situation. I'd been bred for certain mental and psychic qualities. Once it was determined that I possessed those qualities, I was trained, tested, and trained some more. I was passed from one training department to another, never having the chance to connect with anyone in particular. I was given food and shelter and, well, not much else. I was..._ Cutter paused as he lifted his eyes to stare at the wall. _...lonely. And then I got used to being lonely and I became jaded and bitter. Then I got used to that, too. After a while, I even forgot about the nice people in the nursery and all the wonderful things I thought life had in store._

 _And then I met you in that interview room at NuGen and I saw something that I never expected. I saw someone who had the same pain inside him that I had. I saw myself in someone else and it made me remember all the pain and loneliness that I'd forgotten about that I carried around with me every day. But I could also see that there was more to you than the same bitterness that had begun to settle into my own heart._

 _When I found out why you were there I realized that despite your pain there was strength and nobility within you - not just a desire for good things to happen but the willingness to take action and see it done, even at great personal risk. There was love in you, Ryan, and whatever terrible things you'd endured hadn't been able to drive it out of you. And after I went home with you and talked to Doctor Lynd, I knew I was right. That's when I knew you were someone special - someone even the darkest despair couldn't defeat. I wanted to be a part of that._

Ryan looked toward the window through which the twinkle of the brightest stars could be seen piercing the darkening blanket of night. "You know, I've never met anyone like you, either. No one's ever done for me the kinds of things that you've done." Ryan shook his head and bit his lip. "You have no idea how much all of it has meant to me."

 _I'm psychic, Ryan. I know exactly what it means to you._

Ryan leaned back against Rika's side and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes. He felt Rika's ample body heat soaking into his back, suffusing him with its warmth. He felt Spike's chest slowly expand and contract in his hand with each breath, the pikachu's tiny heart drumming softly against his fingertips. He felt Buster's slow, even breath upon his arm and even the odd softness of Trace's smooth, pliant body against his feet. He allowed his newfound psychic awareness to open up a bit, and he felt something there, too. He'd never known what it was like to have a family - not one worth mentioning, at any rate - but as he felt the warmth, both physical and emotional, pouring in from all sides, he imagined that if this wasn't what having a real family was like, then it was the next best thing.

"Ain't we the pair," Ryan said, putting an arm around Cutter's shoulders.

Cutter leaned into Ryan's side and smiled. _Yes, we are._


	15. Payback

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Payback**

Near the side of a rural road, Stacy and Christina crouched low, shrouded by the deep darkness of night undisturbed by city lights. All around them, tall trees reached up toward the starry, moonless sky - towering sentinels standing a silent watch in the dark.

As they waited, a swath of light appeared in the distance. As it came around a bend in the road, its source - a pair of headlights mounted too high to be a passenger vehicle - revealed itself.

Stacy squinted her eyes against the glare of the headlights then turned to the pokemon at her side whose fur was as midnight-dark as their surroundings. "Is that the one, Rush?"

Her luxray focused upon the moving vehicle, its gleaming, yellow eyes piercing the veiling darkness, then nodded.

"You know what to do," Stacy said to her sister.

"Right," Christina replied, covering her face with a bandana as Stacy did the same. Christina swallowed through the dryness in her throat and wiped her sweat-slick palms against her pants before laying a hand on the tail of her rhydon who sat hunkered behind a tree in front of her. "Get ready, Crash."

Through the gloom, she saw the rhydon turn its head and answer with a low rumble.

Out in the roadway, all seemed quiet with the exception of the rumble of the semi-trailer's diesel engine as it approached. Then, in a gray blur, Christina's rhydon charged across the road, slamming into the side of the semi's cab, shattering the night's stillness with the sound of crumpling metal and squealing tires. The semi swerved hard, knocked off its straight-line path, and careened off the road. Traveling nearly sideways, the semi rolled over as it hit the soft dirt and mild decline of the roadside, finally skidding to a halt on its side.

Stacy waved at Christina. "Let's go. You check on the driver and I'll take care of the cargo."

As the two sisters made their way toward the overturned semi, Crash rejoined Christina. She picked a piece of crumpled sheet metal from the rhydon's horn and gave him an affectionate scratch. But as they neared the overturned vehicle, they saw the passenger-side door - now facing upward - slowly open. The sight of the man crawling out made Stacy stop short.

His skin was covered in a bright, metallic sheen.

The sound of shattering glass preceded the emergence of the driver, who crawled through the ruined windshield, his hands encased in chisel-like blades of ice. With a crash, the doors of the trailer flew open and three more men emerged from the back. All five of the men wore matching sets of black body armor.

"Shit! Prometheans!" Stacy exclaimed, slapping her fingers across the poké balls on her belt. As her pokemon began to materialize around her, the ice around the driver's hands fell away and he raised one of them in their direction. Stacy pulled Christina behind her as a blue beam of energy flew past her head.

The sound of a klaxon from the trailer drew the attention of one of the three men near its doors. "Dammit, the containment unit's been damaged. I'll take care of it. You guys take care of them," he said, then rushed back into the trailer.

As the remaining armored men quickly advanced on the two girls, Stacy began deploying her pokemon. "Samson, into the air! Freya, Dredge, line up on the left. Gia, Rush, on the right. Max, stay close."

At her command, Stacy's tropius launched itself skyward, but before it could gain much altitude, the semi's driver fired another blue beam, striking the tropius. With a cry of pain, Samson plummeted into the trees with half its body rimed in ice.

"Dammit!" Stacy hissed through clenched teeth. She quickly retrieved the fallen tropius then pointed at the frost-wielding Promethean. "Max, Flamethrower!"

Her blaziken stepped forward and thrust his hands out, shooting a thick jet of fire from them. Just then, one of the men from the trailer slammed an open palm against the ground and a slab of earth rose up from the ground in front of the driver, causing the fiery blast to splash harmlessly against it.

"I wonder," Stacy said to herself, then pointed at the earth-wielder rushing toward them. "Freya, Hydro Cannon!"

Her empoleon's chest swelled, then a ball of water blasted from its beak, slamming into its target and sending him skidding along the pavement. When he finally came to rest, he did not rise.

The downed Promethean's companion, along with the metallic-skinned Promethean from the semi's cab, quickly closed the distance. Dredge rushed forward, snapping his jaws around the steely Promethean's arm. From the left, the man from the trailer unleashed a barrage of superhumanly fast punches upon Freya, finishing with a spinning roundhouse kick that sent the empoleon flying through the air to land in a heap ten feet away.

"Gia, Psychic!"

Before the martially endowed Promethean could turn, a blast of psychic energy rippled out from Stacy's gardevoir. The man clutched his head with a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground.

"I knew it!" Stacy said to Christina. "Their abilities give them the same weaknesses as pokemon!"

Christina nodded, then said to her pokemon, "Okay, Crash, let's take down that guy throwing the ice around. Get in there and hit him with a Hammer Arm!"

Christina's rhydon acknowledged the command with a grunt and charged in at the ice-wielding Promethean. But before Crash could close in, the Promethean blasted the ground in front of the rhydon with an icy beam, coating it with a long patch of ice. The rhydon slipped on the icy pavement and fell, its momentum continuing to carry it forward. As the rhydon slid by on the icy ground, the Promethean blasted him with blue beams from both hands, encasing it almost completely in a thick shell of ice.

"Crash, no!" Christina cried, then hurriedly pulled his poké ball from her belt and retrieved him.

Meanwhile, the metallic Promethean struggled against Dredge's thrashing grip as the krookodile's teeth scraped against his metal-clad arm. Using the full leverage of his body weight, he pulled it in close and pressed his fingers against the pokemon's chest. The krookodile screeched in pain as five metallic spikes erupted from his back. The Promethean wrenched his hand free, his fingers drawn into long, metallic claws now streaked with blood, and tossed the krookodile aside.

The frost-wielder, having faded back toward the semi, raised his hands and hurled two large chunks of ice at Max and Rush, knocking them backward and away from Stacy. Seeing the opening made by his companion, the metallic Promethean rushed at Stacy, his steel-clawed hand reforming into a spiked fist as he swung it at her head.

Stacy barely had time flinch before the blow landed with a sickening crunch and she tumbled backward to the ground. It seemed odd, though, that such a powerful blow should hurt so little. When she opened her eyes, she saw why. Lying next to her was Gia, her face a bloody ruin. Stacy gasped as she realized her gardevoir had stepped in front of her at the last moment and taken the blow herself. It was only the impact of Gia being knocked back into her that sent her to the ground.

Suddenly, Max streaked past an orange blur, his feet ablaze as he vaulted over her. With a cry, he slammed a fiery kick into the metallic Promethean's chest, knocking him several steps backward.

The man glanced down at his chest, touching a hand to his body armor, now scorched through to his skin. His eyes snapped up to the blaziken standing before him in a fighting stance and his face twisted into a snarl of rage. He clenched his hand into a fist, extruding a broad metallic blade from his knuckles and charged forward.

Max braced his stance, ready to meet the attack, but just before the Promethean struck, he dropped to a knee and the midnight-blue form of Rush came leaping over his back. The luxray crashed headlong into the charging Promethean and his teeth closed around the man's shoulder as he tackled him to the ground. Electricity pumped out of the luxray's teeth, shooting through the Promethean's metal-clad body in flashing, blue-white arcs. A strangled scream wrested out through the man's clenched teeth as his body convulsed underneath Rush's pinning weight until, when the electricity finally stopped, then man hung limp in the luxray's jaws.

Stacy hastily pulled out two poké balls, recalling Gia and Dredge, then pressed a recessed button on the back of each before getting back to her feet. "Max, Rush, move in and flank that guy," she said, setting her gaze on the last remaining Promethean hanging back near the semi.

Her blaziken and luxray stalked forward, spreading out to approach the last Promethean from opposite sides. As they neared, he swept his hands out before him, quickly spraying ice onto the ground, creating a thicket of tall, stalagmite-like spikes all about him until he could no longer be seen.

"Smash the ice, Max!" Stacy called.

Her blaziken immediately responded, smashing the icy cones one by one with Rush hunkering nearby, ready to pounce once their enemy was laid bare.

Suddenly, one of the outlying pillars of ice exploded outward, sending razor-like shards flying in all directions. Pain lanced through Stacy's left shoulder as one of the shards ripped across it, leaving a bloody gash in its wake. She had little time to contemplate her injury as a blood-curdling shriek drew her eyes back toward her pokemon. The Promethean, now standing where the exploded ice pillar had been, stood over Rush, a spear of ice encasing his forearm and driven deep into the luxray's side.

The ice-wielder jumped back, pulling his hand free of the icy spear just as Max charged in with a Blaze Kick that _whooshed_ past his head by mere inches. The Promethean tumbled backward, icing the ground to prevent easy pursuit and gained some distance between himself and the enraged blaziken. Max, however was a canny combatant and immediately switched to Flamethrower attacks to continue his assault. Nevertheless, the acrobatic Promethean managed to dodge the attacks, erecting icy obstructions and flinging frigid beams in return.

With trembling hands, Stacy quickly pulled out a poké ball and pointed it at her luxray who lay motionless, its blood draining out onto the pavement around the long spike of ice driven into its side. Stacy struggled to push down the roil of emotion within her as the retrieval beam flashed over Rush's form. This was no mere pokemon battle. These men were trying to kill her pokemon, and after having seen what they did to Ryan, she had no doubt she would fare no better if she fell into their hands. Once the retrieval beam had finished cycling, she pressed a button on the back of the ball as she had with the others and turned back toward the continuing battle.

"Max, Incinerate!"

The blaziken threw its arms forward, blasting out a wide cone of flame which washed over and around the icy obstructions and rolled over the Promethean in a blazing tide. With a cry of pain, the ice-wielding man fell to the ground as the ice around him began to melt into steaming puddles.

Max strode toward the Promethean, now writhing in pain on the ground and snatched him up by his body armor. With an almost casual toss, he flung the man against the front of the semi, the impact buckling the vehicle's metal body. Tangled up in the truck's front grill, the man hung limp and unmoving.

Christina and Max rushed to Stacy's side. The blaziken immediately began fussing over Stacy, who stood with her hand clasped over her bloody shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Christina asked, her face drawn with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Stacy replied. She lifted her bloody fingers from her shoulder and peeked at the slash underneath. "Dammit. That's going to need stitches."

Stacy pulled her bandana off of her face and Christina did the same, tying hers around Stacy's shoulder.

"Are your pokemon going to be okay?" Christina asked.

"I put them in stasis-lock when I retrieved them, but I'm worried about Dredge and Rush. We have to get them to a pokemon center before their poké balls run out of power." Stacy eyed the semi's trailer. "But not before we take a look at what they were transporting that they had all those Prometheans guarding."

As the two sisters made their way toward the back of the trailer, a burst of light flashed from its rear doors. From inside the trailer, they heard a scream that abruptly cut short. A moment later, a man flew, tumbling, out the back of the trailer to land in a heap some twenty feet away. The girls stared in horror at the gargantuan bite marks that covered the man's bloody, ruined chest and the lifeless, unblinking eyes that stared back at them.

"What was that?" Christina asked in a terrified whisper as she and Stacy began backing away.

A huge, dinosaurian head topped with an orange, crown-like crest poked out of the trailer and Stacy paled. "A tyrantrum!" She breathed.

The tyrantrum's head swung toward the two girls and it locked its dark, cruel eyes upon them. With a glance up at the swinging door hanging down from the overturned trailer's rear, the enormous dinosaur pokemon casually ripped it off its hinges with its jaws, then lumbered out of the trailer.

The towering dinosaur pokemon narrowed its eyes and growled through bared teeth as it advanced toward them.

Stacy cast a quick glance at her sister behind her. "Do you have that timer ball I gave you for your birthday?"

"Yeah, right here," Christina said, pulling it from her belt.

"Start it up. Now."

Christina held the large front button on the poké ball until it beeped. A high-pitched whine issued from it as its capacitor banks began to charge and LEDs arranged in a circular pattern around the button began to slowly light up, one by one.

Stacy turned toward Max then lifted her right hand to her chest and touched the iridescent stone set into her bracelet with her left. Gazing into her blaziken's eyes, she said, "May my heart give you strength."

The stone hanging around Max's neck from its metal chain blazed to life, bursting forth a fiery nimbus of power that wrapped him from head to toe. As the glow swept over him, the plumage of his lower body changed color, darkening to red-and-black, while his upper body plumage swept up and back. Finally, as the transformation ran its course, the fire surrounding him swirled into his hands and burning streamers of fire burst forth from his wrists.

The tyrantrum, having stopped short at the dazzling display of fiery power, now fixed its eyes upon the mega evolved blaziken standing before it. It let out a deafening roar that echoed among the trees and forced the Stacy and Christina to clap their hands over their ears. With jaws gaping, the great dinosaur pokemon lowered its head and charged forward.

Flinging a finger toward the tyrantrum, Stacy cried, "Go get him, Max!"

The blaziken surged forward, meeting the tyrantrum head-on. Just as the dinosaur snapped in with its broad jaws, Max threw a mighty uppercut, catching it squarely on the chin with an audible impact that snapped the tyrantrum's head back.

The dinosaur staggered backward several steps but quickly recovered. With a roar, it lifted one of its mighty, clawed feet and slammed it down upon the pavement, sending a seismic shock wave through the ground that blasted Max off his feet in a shower of buckled asphalt and sent the semi rolling farther down the decline. Even Stacy and Christina, standing at a distance, were knocked to the ground.

Continuing its attack, the tyrantrum scooped up a huge mouthful of pavement and earth, and with a toss of its head, flung it all at Max. The rocky projectiles slammed into the blaziken, still struggling to rise from the first attack, sending him tumbling.

Seeing the giant dinosaur advance on Max, Christina pulled out another poké ball and released her pachirisu. "Twitch, hit him with a Thunder Wave!" she cried, pointing at the tyrantrum.

The plucky pachirisu immediately darted forward, scampering across the broken asphalt. It skidded to a halt near a huge, clawed foot and flicked its tail up, shooting a streamer of electricity into the dinosaur's leg.

The tyrantrum bellowed as its leg spasmed and buckled. It turned toward the source of its pain and chomped down at the tiny pachirisu who darted aside just as its jaws snapped shut.

Stacy shot a quick look toward her sister. "Where are we at with that timer ball?"

Christina glanced at the timer ball in her hand and saw that the progress lights had illuminated around to the six o'clock position. "Halfway there!" she called out.

Stacy turned her attention back to Max, who had regained his feet once again. "Alright, big guy, let's give him some fire!"

The streamers of flame trailing from the blaziken's wrists drew into his hands and then, thrusting them forward, Max unleashed twin torrents of fire at the rampaging dinosaur. The tyrantrum tossed its head and roared in pain as the fire blasted against its thick, scaly hide. It staggered back under the scorching barrage and Max followed slowly forward, pressing the attack.

"That's it, Max!" Stacy shouted. "You've almost got him!"

But then, the tyrantrum turned its head and its eyes hardened into a steely rage. It charged forward, roaring in defiance even as flames continued blasting it full in the face. As it reached its quarry, it spread its broad jaws wide, biting down upon the blaziken.

As rows of blade-like teeth were about to close around him, Max reached out, gripping the tyrantrum's massive upper and lower jaw in each hand, keeping them wedged open.

The talons on the blaziken's feet dug furrows into the asphalt as the tyrantrum bore down with all its might upon Max, whose sheer strength kept its jaws levered open even as he was driven slowly backward. The two combatants strained against each other, muscles quivering in exertion as they remained locked in their struggle.

A glance from Christina at the timer ball showed the lights lit up three quarters of the way around. Not waiting to see if Max could hold out against the much larger pokemon, she called, "Twitch, hit it with an Electro Ball!"

The pachirisu whipped its tail, slinging a ball of electricity that struck the tyrantrum's side. The dinosaur flicked its eyes toward the pachirisu, then tossed its head, flinging Max into the air. As the blaziken fell back down, the tyrantrum bashed him with a mighty swing of its head, sending him flying into the trunk of a tree. Now free of distractions, the tyrantrum rushed at the little white squirrel.

"Get up on his back, Twitch!" Christina called. "His jaws can't get you there!"

The pachirisu flung another ball of electricity at the tyrantrum's face, then darted forward in the moment of distraction, scampering up its leg and onto its back. The dinosaur whirled around, snapping in vain at its tiny hitchhiker but it held fast, all the while loosing electrical discharges into it.

Finally, the tyrantrum rolled onto its back and the pachirisu was forced to abandon its position or be crushed. But just as the tyrantrum rolled back to its feet, Max came rushing back into the fray.

"Max, Double Kick!" Stacy called out.

The blaziken leapt up, striking the dinosaur squarely on its jaw with a double roundhouse kick that sent it reeling backward.

A rapid beeping brought Christina's attention back to the timer ball, whose indicator lights were completely lit and flashing. She hauled back and hurled the ball, striking the tyrantrum on its flank. With a bright flash, the timer ball sucked the dinosaur pokemon inside, its metallic hemispherical halves ringing as it slammed shut under the force of its charged-up maglock.

Christina watched the ball hop and shake on the ground as the tyrantrum attempted to break free from the conversion process. "Come on, catch!"

As the ball continued to shake and gyrate, though, the two halves started to chatter open and closed with increasing frequency.

"Damn, it's not going to hold!" Stacy cried. "Let's get into the trees before it comes back out!"

Before they could take more than a few steps, the ball vibrated and whined and a bright light began shining out from between its two halves which had now levered open a full inch. From inside, a muffled roar could be heard, growing steadily louder and louder.

And then, with an electric crackle, the ball popped closed followed by a loud click as its servo lock latched shut.

Christina sagged to the ground, trembling. Her pachirisu rushed to her side, putting its front paws up on her legs. She reached down and picked it up, hugging the little squirrel pokemon to her chest. A short while later, her sister came to her side with Max close behind. She looked up as Stacy held out the timer ball to her.

"What's this for?" Christina asked.

"It's your poké ball, silly," Stacy said. "That means this pokemon is yours."

"Mine?" Christina said incredulously. "I can't handle a monster like that! You should take it."

"Nah. I already have the team I want and you only have two pokemon." Stacy knelt down next to her sister and smiled. "You're a great trainer, Christina. I know you can handle it."

Christina eyed the poké ball nervously. "Will you at least help me with him?"

"Of course, I will," Stacy said, laying a hand on Christina's shoulder.

Christina eyed the timer ball with trepidation, acutely aware that it now contained a very large, ill-tempered and dangerous dinosaur. Taking a deep breath, she slowly extended her hand.

Stacy put her own hand under it, gently placing the timer ball in her sister's upturned palm. The timer ball felt hot in Christina's hand as her fingers closed around it.

As Christina stood and placed the ball on her belt, Stacy reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to her car which sat parked off the road a short distance away.

"Now lets get to a Pokemon Center," Stacy said.

Christina snatched the keys out of her sister's hand. "I'm driving. And I'm taking you straight to the hospital."

"No you're not," Stacy retorted. "This is just a flesh wound. Rush and Dredge need medical attention far more than I do, not to mention Crash who looked damn near frozen solid."

"First off, you're still bleeding. Second, I know our pokemon are seriously hurt, which is why I'm going to drop you off and head straight to the nearest Pokemon Center afterward."

"First off," Stacy said, mimicking Christina's tone, "you're barely old enough to drive. Second, give me back my keys. This isn't the time for arguing."

"You're absolutely right," Christina said. She turned to Stacy's blaziken. "Max, bring my sister along so we can get out of here."

Stacy squawked in outrage as Max scooped her up in his arms and fell into step alongside Christina. "Max, put me down!" She cried.

"Stacy..."

Something in her sister's voice made her pause. She turned her head and saw something different in Christina's face. Was it a trick of the night's darkness shadowing her features or perhaps the stress of the intense battle they'd just been through that made her seem suddenly much older?

"You've always looked out for me," Christina said softly. "Now it's my turn to look out for you, okay?"

Stacy sagged in Max's arms, disarmed by her sister's unexpected words. Finally, she sighed and settled her head against her Max's shoulder, allowing herself to be carried by her blaziken as they all made their way back to Stacy's car and left the scene of the battle behind.


	16. Bonds of Blood

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Bonds of Blood**

Simon Vanderburg, Chairman and CEO of Xenon Technologies, was no stranger to important meetings and dealing with powerful people from around the world. Even so, as he sat behind his expansive desk within his own equally impressive office, he found himself feeling a heady sense of expectation he hadn't experienced in many years.

"Mister Vanderburg, Doctor Talbot and Serena Crane are here to see you," came the voice of his secretary through the intercom.

"Is Mister Sardis with them?"

"Yes, sir."

Mister Vanderburg took a moment to still his fingers which drummed eagerly against his lap. "Excellent. Send them in."

The doors to his office opened, admitting the familiar forms of Serena Crane and Doctor Gregory Talbot, the heads of Project Prometheus. Walking between them, however, was the source of his eager anticipation. Standing a head taller than even Doctor Talbot's not inconsiderable height, the man - if he could be called such - bore distinctly non-human attributes. The olive green tank top he wore revealed that both of his muscular arms from the shoulder down were covered in blue scales, ending in clawed hands. A thick, similarly blue-scaled tail trailed behind him as he walked. The unusual, muscular thickness of his upper legs which strained against his trousers suggested an other-than-human aspect to his lower extremities as well. A glance at his large, clawed, blue-scaled feet removed all doubt.

Mister Vanderburg smiled broadly. "Vincent Sardis. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your record speaks volumes: Twelve years in active military service, nine of which in Special Forces. No fewer than twenty counter-terrorism operations in foreign theaters."

"More than double that, actually, if you count the ones I can't talk about," the hulking dragon-man replied.

"Impressive," Vanderburg said. He contemplated the man before him for a moment, idly wondering if he was now more pokemon than human. "So, have you had any difficulties adjusting to the physical changes?"

Sardis smiled and unfurled a pair of blue, draconic wings from his back, forcing the pair at his side to move a few steps aside. "Nope."

Vanderburg's eyebrows rose. "Truly? Even for someone with your background, I would think that the drastic nature of the alterations would cause at least some concern."

"Oh, I'm well familiar with alterations, Mister Vanderburg. The IED that blew my arms and legs off saw to that."

"I can only imagine," Vanderburg said through his folded hands.

"You have no idea what it's like, living with half a body. I couldn't even do the simplest things for myself. I had to rely on others for everything - to eat, bathe, move. I couldn't even use the bathroom without someone putting me on the john. I went from being in charge of squads of the most highly trained men in the world and multi-million dollar military assets to being a human stump who couldn't even wipe his own ass. Now," he paused to hold up his scaled, clawed hands and flexed his fingers, "I have my life back."

"I'm pleased that our work has proven so beneficial, as I'm sure Doctor Talbot is as well."

"Indeed," Doctor Talbot said. "The practical applications for this kind of regenerative augmentation are practically limitless. The same techniques could be used for..."

Mister Vanderburg held up a hand. "I look forward to hearing the details in your written report, but for now, I'm afraid my time is quite limited. There are some important matters I wish to discuss with Miss Crane and Mister Sardis, so if you would excuse us?"

"Of course. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me directly at any time."

"I shall. And pass on my congratulations to your team for a job well done. I'm pleased to see that your work has proven to be everything you promised."

He waited until Doctor Talbot left the room before speaking. "Miss Crane, what do you have to report on the Prometheans?"

"Now that the process has been perfected, the Prometheans have exhibited much greater control over their abilities without the interface devices to get in the way."

"In that case, I want them to begin some preliminary operations immediately." To Sardis, he said, "I'd like you to bring your considerable expertise to bear on that. I take it you're still interested in the top job, _commander_?"

A wolfish smile spread across Sardis's face "Yes, sir. It'll be good to get back into action again. In fact, I already have a team in mind for the first ops. According to the reports, squad five has shown exceptional ability, having successfully obtained a fragment of Palkia's jewel during a covert operation. In fact, I understand their squad leader actually participated in the capture of Palkia himself, isn't that right, Miss Crane?"

"She did, indeed," Serena replied. "Threw the poké ball herself."

"And what of the donor pokemon we've been using for Project Prometheus?" Vanderburg asked.

"They're being left where they are likely to be found by certain individuals."

"Good." Mister Vanderburg steepled his fingers. "It's important that people understand how dangerous pokemon really are."

Serena smiled. "Don't worry. They soon will."

# # #

Deep within the Great Redwood National Forest, a bending of space presaged the sudden appearance of Ryan and Cutter amidst the trees. A wild vulpix foraging nearby among the roots of the towering sequoias let out a startled yelp and darted away.

Ryan laid a steadying hand on Cutter's shoulder as the gallade swayed on his feet. "You okay there?" Ryan asked.

Cutter blinked a few times before steadying himself. _Yeah. This distance is still a long way for me to go in one hop. Still, it was an easier trip than the last time I came here._

"At least I'm conscious this time," Ryan said with a half smile. He pulled out a poké ball. "Why don't you take a break for a bit while I look for Orion?"

 _Are you sure you'll be okay out here without me? There are a lot of wild pokemon around._

Ryan took another poké ball from his belt and released his arcanine, Rika. He gave the giant canine pokemon an affectionate scratch and jumped up onto her back. "Don't worry. Rika's a tough girl and she can outrun pretty much anything out here."

The arcanine looked back at Ryan and barked enthusiastically.

 _Are you sure this is a good idea? Orion is an especially powerful dragon and he may not greet an unexpected arrival with your level of eagerness._

"I won't know until I try, Cutter."

Cutter sighed. _Very well. Just make sure you let me back out as soon as you find him, alright?_

Ryan nodded. "Of course. Besides, you're still the man when it comes to communicating with pokemon. I'll need you to translate."

Ryan returned Cutter to his poké ball and placed it on his belt. "Looks like it's just you and me for a bit," he said, firmly grasping Rika's thick mane. "What do you say we go find ourselves a dragon?"

Rika barked excitedly, then took off into the forest with Ryan hunkered low on her back. The pair zigzagged among the trees - the towering redwoods in their evergreen finery giving way to stands of black oak which had long since shed their leafy crowns. Though the cold winter air blew briskly over Ryan from their rapid passage, Rika's prodigious body heat kept the chill from taking too deep of a hold.

For the better part of an hour, Ryan searched until, after finding a higher vantage, he spied the unmistakable silhouette of the great salamence wheeling low in the sky over a ridge of small mountains. As Rika sped toward the ridge faster than any vehicle could manage, Ryan kept his eyes locked on the dragon above with a mixture of anticipation and dread. He knew that Cutter's warning about Orion was not lightly given and furthermore, even though he had no doubt of his feeling that Orion was somehow familiar to him, the feeling was not a pleasant one.

Before they reached the nearest slope, the salamence began to slowly spiral downward toward them. Ryan called Rika to a stop and he hopped to the ground, releasing Cutter from his poké ball.

"Did you get enough of a breather?" Ryan asked.

 _Yes, I'm quite recovered from the teleport now. Have you found our quarry yet?_

Ryan pointed to a large rock outcropping on the nearest mountain's face where the salamence backwinged to land gracefully upon.

 _Ah. Quite the figure, he is._

Ryan turned to Rika and ruffled the arcanine's thick mane. "Thanks, big girl. I'm going to need you to sit this one out, though," he said, then returned her to her poké ball.

 _Is that wise?_ Cutter asked. _We may need her for a quick escape if things turn sour._

"I think it's best to keep things as low-key as possible for now. Besides, if this goes sideways, you can get us out of here faster than she can."

 _Very well,_ Cutter replied. _Just be careful._

The pair approached the mountainside under the watchful gaze of the great dragon until at last, he flew down toward them. In the midst of a wide clearing, the salamence landed before them, its wide, crimson, crescent-shaped wings raising a strong gust that they felt even at a distance. He fixed each of them in turn with his penetrating gaze and Ryan felt his heart begin to race in his chest.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ryan called out "Orion! I've come to speak with you," in as strong a voice as he could muster.

The salamence tilted its head, its eyes remaining locked on Ryan. He then slowly walked forward, crossing the distance between them to stand before Ryan, his angular eyes fastened upon him. As the blue dragon leaned in close, Ryan was utterly transfixed by the nearness of its gaze, the presence of its huge, majestic form. He felt his heart pounding in his throat as he felt the salamence's breath against his face.

Ryan worked the dryness from his mouth and took a deep breath to steady himself before finally speaking. "We've crossed paths before, haven't we?" Ryan asked.

The salamence gave a slow, silent nod.

A stab of emotion lanced through Ryan's chest. "Where? How? How do we know each other?"

Orion leaned in again, nearly touching a nostril to Ryan's neck and inhaled deeply. Drawing back, he looked down upon Ryan as a low, sound rumbled from his throat.

Cutter looked up at Ryan, his large eyes bespeaking his own faltering composure. _He knows you because he has tasted your blood._

Ryan blinked, confusion briefly winning out among the roil of awe and no small amount of fear. "He... but how?"

The salamence sat down on his haunches and made a soft humming sound as he regarded Ryan with eyes no longer intense and angular.

 _He says it was a long time ago, when you were no more than a tiny bundle in your mother's arms._

"Wait, he saw my mother?"

The salamence nodded with a murmur.

 _Yes,_ Cutter said, then paused in concentration. _In fact, it would seem they were well acquainted._

"They were? How? When? Where did he see her? What was she like? Did she..." The words tumbling from his mouth abruptly stopped and he locked eyes with his gallade. "Cutter, do you think you could make a psychic link between me and Orion like Uxie did with me and that abra from before?"

 _To see his memories of her directly, I take it?_

"Yes, exactly," Ryan said with a vigorous nod.

 _To be honest, I'm not really sure how Uxie did it. His psychic prowess is of an order far beyond mine._

"Oh," Ryan said, his face falling.

 _But,_ Cutter added after a moment's thought, _if I forged a direct link with you like I did during the League pro-am, then linked up with Orion, it would probably have a similar effect. It wouldn't be as good as what Uxie did but you'd get most of the experience, I think._

Ryan looked up at the salamence, his former apprehension washed away in the heady rush of anticipation washing over him. "Would you let us do that? I never knew my mother. I have no memories of her at all."

The great salamence leveled his eyes at Ryan and the weight of their gaze quickly sobered Ryan's demeanor.

Ryan's hands gripped the hem of his shirt. "Please. It would mean so much to me if I could share your memories of her".

The great salamence tilted his head in contemplation, regarding Ryan and his gallade in turn. At last, he slowly blinked and nodded.

"Yes? He said yes!" Ryan exclaimed, gripping Cutter by the shoulders.

 _I gathered that,_ Cutter said, _now could you let go of me, please? You're quite strong when you get excited._

Ryan let go of Cutter with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Got a little..."

 _...Carried away? Yes, I know._ Cutter rubbed his shoulder with a grimace but upon seeing the pure, naked excitement upon Ryan's face, he couldn't help but smile. _Alright, just sit down here and I'll get started. In fact, I think you'd better lie down instead. Don't want you falling over._

Ryan did as he was instructed, closing his eyes as he felt Cutter's psychic tether taking hold in his mind. A short time later, he felt his awareness expanding further, bringing with it unfamiliar sensations. The air seemed thick with scents he couldn't previously detect and his vision swam with color until it resolved into an image of himself seen from above with Cutter sitting next to him. He saw Cutter looking up into the eyes which were not his own until they slowly lidded shut and his sight filled with new visions.

# # #

Orion stretched out upon the grassy carpet of the forest clearing. The warm sun upon his scales drew an involuntary yawn from his impressively-toothed maw. His hunt had gone extraordinarily well and his stomach now felt pleasantly full. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of the soft breeze sighing in the tall trees lull him as began to drift into a nap.

The distant sound of twigs and leaves crunching under footsteps made his eyes snap open. His keen vision quickly picked out the intruder among the trees. He stayed low and quiet, watching the interloper approach. It was a human - a young woman who appeared small, even by human standards, which made the fact that she was visibly pregnant even more obvious. He saw no weaponry of any kind on her person and, most importantly, none of the spherical trap devices that some people carried. Now and then, someone would try to capture him in one and he'd be forced to chase them away. So far, none had ever tried it twice.

The woman picked her way toward his clearing, apparently oblivious to his presence. Only when she entered the clearing itself did she seem to finally notice him. Instead of beating a hasty retreat as, thankfully, most humans did when they encountered him, she simply looked up at him with a neutral expression.

Apparently, she needed more convincing to leave. He rose and glared at her, a display that was enough to convince most humans - and pokemon, for that matter - that being elsewhere was a very good idea.

Except, in this case, that wasn't what happened.

For reasons unknown, the human simply stood there, regarding him mildly. He let out an irritated sigh. It had been a good day and he had so been looking forward to a pleasant afternoon basking in the sun...

 _I think that would be a lovely idea. May I join you?_

The mental contact briefly caught the salamence off guard. He'd run across psychic pokemon before but never a psychic human. Still, her mental touch was light and pleasant, unlike the throngs of hungry young abra in the forest whose raucous psychic calls to their parents for food could be heard for miles.

The human laughed and her psychic presence brightened in reflection of her mirth. _I'm glad to meet your approval. I hope this means you'll allow me to stay. I've been walking for some time and my feet are a little sore._

He found his curiosity piqued by this woman's unusual behavior, her psychic presence and even by the unusual accent to her words - clipped, yet strangely musical. All in all, she seemed fairly innocuous and with the combination of the sun's warmth and his full belly lulling him into drowsiness, he felt disinclined to expend the effort to shoo her away. He sprawled back out upon the ground, letting his wings furl out to his sides.

He kept an eye on the human as she found a large, sloping, flat-sided rock to sit back against. She lifted the front of her shirt partway, letting the sunlight shine upon the swell of her abdomen, then placed a hand on her belly and closed her eyes. Soon, the woman's breathing slowed into the regular cadence of slumber.

Orion sniffed and looked away. This was hardly the place for a fragile-looking thing like her to be sleeping. He had no intention of intervening if some wild thing came along and decided to make a meal of her. Then again, his mere presence made it highly unlikely that anything dangerous would venture near.

With another yawn, Orion closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. When he later awoke near sunset, the human was nowhere to be seen.

This was not the last he saw of her, however. In the following months, he continued to encounter her from time to time in the forest. She had begun to frequent the place where they first met, though she mollified his chagrin at her appropriating his favorite basking spot by plying him with treats - small, sweet, bready confections studded with berries of various types. As time went on, he found himself developing an odd sort of affection for the small creature, especially as she grew increasingly ungainly on her feet as her gravid state progressed. The amusement he derived from her discomfiture proved a source of irritation to her, which only made the situation all the more amusing to him.

Unfortunately, she managed a bit of comeuppance against him in turn. One afternoon she had stayed late with him and, seeing as how she had been generous with treats that day, he could not in good conscience send her home alone in the dark in her current state. Thus, he felt compelled to escort her - on foot, to his dismay - back to her home.

At long last, they arrived at her dwelling - a cabin deep in the forest with only a narrow dirt road leading away from it into the woods. Another human stood outside, awaiting their approach - this one a male and taller than her.

"There you are, Ilyena!" the man called to her. He took a step forward but stopped short upon seeing the large salamence following behind her.

The man wore the long, brown overcoat common of humans who called themselves "Pokemon Rangers", one of the few groups of humans Orion had no particular objection to since they tended to solve more problems than they created. As they neared, Orion caught his scent and immediately recognized this one as the female's mate, since she often had this same scent laid thickly upon her body.

The woman's laughter prompted the man to speak once again. "What's so funny?"

"He, um, recognizes you, Jason."

"You shouldn't be wandering around the forest so late on your own," Jason said. He cast a wary eye at the salamence, adding, "And you should leave that one be."

Ilyena raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. "And why is that?"

"Because that's Orion, is why. He's the biggest salamence in all of Aureus and he gets very angry when anyone tries to tame him. The last League trainer that tried it needed stitches afterward."

"Is that your name, you great, blue monstrosity?" Ilyena reached up and gave his thick, blue whiskers a scratch. Turning back to Jason, she added, "And if that trainer only needed stitches, then clearly Orion meant them no real harm."

The man gave her a level look. "I don't find that particularly reassuring, Ilyena."

"Don't worry. I have no intention of capturing this one. I think pokemon are far more interesting when they're wild and untamed." She slipped her arms around Jason's waist and looked up at him with a hawkish smile. "Just like you, _dorogój_."

The worst of Jason's disapproval began to melt under her attention. "I just worry about you and the baby is all."

Suddenly, Ilyena drew back with a look of surprise upon her face. "Wait a minute, that's it!"

"What's it?"

"We still haven't come up with a name for our son. Let's name him after this magnificent dragon."

Jason gave her a dubious look. "I don't think Orion would be a very good name for him."

"No, silly. Drop the 'O'."

"Ryan, huh?" He paused, pondering. "Actually, it does have a nice sound to it. I like it."

"There it is, then!" she beamed. She glanced at Orion and said, "What do you think of that?"

Seeing as how his name had been given to him by others in the first place and that he had little interest in how humans chose to address their offspring, the whole affair held little importance to him. Still, he was pleased by the notion that this was somehow considered something of an honor and therefore, he made no objection.

Orion saw Ilyena infrequently after that. When several weeks passed after her last visit, he found himself oddly concerned for her and returned to her dwelling if only to spy from afar that she was well.

When he arrived, he found her sitting outside, a tiny bundle clutched to her chest. Intrigued, he slowly approached, catching a new, wholly unfamiliar scent as he did. Sudden realization made him stop short. Small though she was, it was unwise to risk the anger of a mother with its offspring and, in any case, he didn't wish to disturb her. He turned, lifting his wings, preparing to take flight.

 _Don't be away, silly ducklett!_ the woman's voice chimed in his mind. _Come and see my little one._

Succumbing to his curiosity - he had never seen a human infant up close - he approached the woman and leaned in close over the tiny thing in her arms. It had a pudgy appearance, pink-skinned and impractically delicate looking. There was something about its peculiarly helpless appearance, though, that stirred some instinctive protectiveness within him and he feared even the slightest brush of his snout against it lest he damage it.

In the moment of distraction brought on by the sentiment, the child reached up and seized the edge of one of his nostrils. Unable to pull away lest he dislodge the child from its mother's hold, he could only squawk in impotent dismay as the child painfully gripped his sensitive flesh with a strength belying its size.

" _Nyet_ , Ryan, be nice!" Ilyena chided the child, carefully dislodging its fingers.

Thus freed, Orion immediately removed himself from the child's reach, casting a wounded look at Ilyena. He continued his observations of Ilyena attending to the child from a safe distance, watching as she spoke to it, nursed it and changed its garments in turn. Only once it had fallen asleep did he return for a final closer look.

 _He likes you, I think,_ Ilyena said into his mind. _I hope you will come to like him, too._

Orion dipped his snout low, touching the infant lightly on the cheek. Such a tiny, soft thing it was, so unlike anything he'd encountered before - even wild abra and vulpix cubs didn't quite compare.

A rumble from his stomach brought him from his musing.

 _Go, hunt,_ Ilyena said with a smile. _You may return to visit as you please._

Orion nodded, withdrawing from the pair, and with a parting look, he took to the sky. As he winged away, he found that his thoughts - normally focused razor-sharp upon the hunt - were repeatedly drawn back to Ilyena and her child and he wondered at the strange feelings of affection he began to feel for these humans.

As time passed, Orion found that Ilyena no longer came to his basking spots. At first, he relished the return of the peaceful solitude, his territory now comfortably uncontested. After a while however, he found that the stillness began to hold an odd emptiness that it never had before. Finally, he decided to ease the feeling by visiting Ilyena - strictly out of curiosity of human child-rearing behavior, of course.

With each visit, he almost always remained far longer than the brief stay he intended, watching in fascination the way Ilyena attended to her child and the inordinate amount of attention human offspring apparently demanded. With the amount of time humans devoted to the endeavor, he wondered how they managed anything else at all. Even so, Ilyena greeted him warmly whenever he visited, always having a ready supply of the treats he liked.

It was several months later that a sudden downpour caught Orion away from his home. In addition to the driving rain, the sky roiled with gusting winds, rolling thunder and bright flashes of lightning. He dared only short hops of flight in such conditions, forcing him to take most of his journey home on the ground. It was during this long, winding trek around and through the sodden hills and trees that Orion heard a faint cry, distant yet familiar.

Quickly following the sound of the noise to its source, he came to a river whose normally placid waters now raged, its banks flooded far beyond their normal extent. A small, wooden bridge that crossed the river lay in a collapsed ruin a short distance upstream. Nearby, Orion spied the front of one of the large, boxy, metal machines that humans used for transportation jutting up from the water. A woman clung to the machine with one hand, her other arm wrapped around a small child as the flooding river relentlessly pulled at her.

It was Ilyena.

In the moment that their eyes met, a surge in the river's flow washed over her, tearing the child from her grasp and casting it adrift into the river's relentless pull.

 _Save him, Orion!_ Ilyena's psychic voice screamed into his mind. _Save my child!_

Orion responded without hesitation. With a single beat of his powerful wings, he launched forward in pursuit of the tiny form carried away in the river's raging flow. He zigzagged low across the river, snatching desperately at the baby as it bobbed to the surface here and there, but each time, the river pulled it mercilessly back under.

With growing desperation, he realized that if he didn't grab him soon, the child would die, either drowned or pummeled against the rocks studding the river. Finally, he made a desperate plunge, diving headlong into the river. For a time, even the great salamence could not be seen, the river swallowing up all sign of him below its churning surface.

And then, the mighty dragon exploded from the surface in a spray of water and a thrashing of wings. The surging river's relentless pull threatened to drag him down again, but with a mighty heave, he managed to reach the shore and pull himself out.

A thin cry, broken but strong, issued from inside the salamence's mouth where a tiny mass lay shivering upon his tongue. His mouth was filled with the taste of muddy water and a faint tang of blood. The river's rough embrace had apparently not left the child unscathed, but nonetheless it was alive and breathing. All that remained was to return it to its mother.

He quickly flew back to where he had left Ilyena, taking care to hold the infant gently in his mouth, but when he returned to the partially submerged vehicle, she was nowhere to be seen.

At first, he scanned among the nearby trees - since he hadn't seen her wash past him in the river, he figured she might've reached the shore on her own - but he couldn't find her there. And while she may have sought safer ground elsewhere, he couldn't imagine that she would've gone far with her offspring missing.

With the rain pouring down and thunder booming overhead, he hurried back down along the flooded banks of the river, searching for any sign of her. A splash of sky blue among a muddy tangle of fallen branches lodged in the water drew his eye. He rushed to the spot and saw that the color was that of a garment worn by a woman snagged up in the branches below the water's surface.

He reached down with his claws and dragged the woman up to the surface and onto solid ground. Though her features were plastered with mud, he could see that it was Ilyena. She lay motionless, her once-bright hazel eyes staring blankly up into the driving rain. He gently nosed her blue-tinged cheeks, trying to rouse her from her torpor.

As the minutes rolled by and she remained motionless, he realized that life had left her. The realization brought with it a sudden, sharp pang that caught the mighty salamence by surprise in its intensity. A sorrowful moan added to he cries of the infant cradled in his mouth as he touched his snout to her face one final time.

Had anyone been present to observe the scene, they would never have been able to see through the rain falling against Orion's scales the bitter rivulets that cascaded from his eyes and fell to the ground below as he winged away into the stormy sky.

After a brief, hopscotch flight, he arrived at a collection of buildings he knew to be where most of the Pokemon Rangers congregated. As he landed in the compound, he found that the brown-coated humans were already in a flurry of activity. Even among the many vehicles and pokemon coming and going amid the storm, the great salamence's form dominated the scene and all stopped to look as he strode among them, looking for the child's father.

While everyone else drew back, giving the salamence a wide berth, a single brown-coated man strode toward him, a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his weathered face, his skin dark brown and creased like tree bark. He stroked his long, gray-flecked mustache as he approached. An alakazam, its own impressive whiskers drenched in the downpour, followed close beside him.

"Well, now, what brings you here?" the man asked. Orion recognized the man from the few direct dealings he had with these humans as someone having dominance within the Rangers. "You know, you're causing quite a stir among the men and women here and we have a lot to deal with right..." He stopped short at the sound of a tiny cry issuing anew from inside Orion's mouth.

Orion leaned down and slowly opened his jaws, revealing the tiny form nestled within.

"What in the name of..." The Ranger hesitated for only a moment before reaching in and taking the infant in his arms. He quickly pulled his long overcoat around the wet, dirty infant and called for some of his subordinates.

Now that he was able to see the child, Orion noted with some relief that the taste of blood had come only from a small scratch on its shoulder.

The Ranger looked the child over, then turned to Orion. "Whose baby is this? Where did you find him?"

Orion felt the alakazam's gaze upon him for a moment before he heard it say, _This is Jason and Ilyena's child, Ryan._ A brief pause, and then, _The mother no longer lives._

The man stood for a moment in stunned silence but quickly recovered when several other Rangers finally came running. He handed the child to one of them and said, "Take the baby inside and have the medics see to him right away." To another he said, "And get Meadows on the radio. Tell him to get back here ASAP. Don't give any details. I'll be the one to tell him what's happening."

"Lieutenant Davis," a brown-coated woman began, stepping forward, "we got a distress call from Meadows' team a short while ago. They were evacuating a campsite when they got hit by a massive mudslide."

"What?!" the older Ranger exclaimed. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"Sorry, sir, but we only got the call a couple minutes ago. We have a rescue team on station looking for them as we speak." She paused before continuing. "Sir, the rescue team reported that the campsite is completely gone."

The older man's face hardened. "You find those Rangers, you hear me? I don't care what it takes."

"Yes sir. A squad of excadrill and diggersby has already been retasked to find surv... to find them."

"Damn it all," the elder Ranger said, then blew out a long breath as he watched the baby being taken inside. He turned to the giant salamence still standing before him and nodded. "You've done a great thing for us today, Orion. I know you don't put much stock in human gratitude, but for what it's worth, you have mine."

Orion nodded in acknowledgement, then with a sweep of his great, crimson wings, he took to the sky, leaving the humans and their troubles behind.

The cold, hard rain chilled his hide as he flew through the turbulent air, but it was nothing compared to the stinging pang that gripped his heart and would not let go.

# # #

Ryan slumped to the ground as the memories faded and his awareness shifted back to his own senses.

Cutter knelt next to him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. _Are you alright?_

"Yeah, I..." Ryan put a hand to his head, blinking his eyes in attempt to bring them back into focus. Finally, he turned to his gallade. "I saw them, Cutter. I saw my mom and dad. I heard their voices."

 _You look just like your father,_ Cutter said with a smile.

"Yeah." Ryan looked up at the salamence towering over him. "Thank you, Orion. This meant a lot to me."

Orion replied with a nod and a soft murmuring rumble.

 _He says that even though he only knew your mother for a short time, he still feels her loss to this day._

Orion perked up and slowly began pacing a circle around Ryan.

 _He says he saw you when you were here before. He was in the air watching when you fought Crash. He knew it was you because he recognized the scent of your blood._

"He saw that, huh?" Ryan scratched the back of his head and looked away. "Of all my less-than-stellar moments, it seems like that one always comes back to me."

 _Nonetheless, he says that such uncommon strength and courage is a fitting legacy to your mother's memory._

Ryan nodded solemnly. "Thank you."

Another low vocalization from the salamence made Cutter turn to face him.

 _Orion says he wishes to speak privately with me._

"He does?" Ryan looked from the towering salamence to his gallade. "Okay."

Ryan watched as Orion and Cutter walked a short distance off and engaged in an extended exchange. After a while, Ryan began to grow anxious but resisted the urge to inquire of the conversation and watched quietly as the half-vocal and half-psychic discourse wore on with both parts equally undiscernable to him. At last, the two of them finished and returned to Ryan. Not waiting for Cutter to begin, Ryan asked, "So what was all that about?"

 _Orion was very curious about you and had a lot of questions for me in that regard._

"Oh. Well, if he wanted to know more about me, I would've been happy to tell him myself."

 _Yes, well, he had a number of questions specifically regarding my thoughts of you._

"He did? Did he say why?"

A sudden rumble from the salamence interrupted their conversation.

Cutter said, _He says that now that he has done you a favor, he would like to know if you would be willing to offer one in return._

Ryan regarded the salamence solemnly and nodded. "Of course. What can I do for you?"

Orion grunted, then turned and began walking away.

Cutter looked up at Ryan with a quizzical expression. _Follow and you shall see._

Orion led the pair a short distance away until they came at last to an opening in the mountainside large enough for the great salamence to walk easily through. Orion stopped a short distance inside and let out a low roar which echoed into the unseen depths of the cavern. A short time later, Ryan saw a small blue form totter out from the shadowed interior. It hunkered under Orion's great form and eyed them warily.

"That's a bagon, isn't it?" Ryan asked.

Orion drew his head up proudly and barked a loud response.

 _Yes, and it is also Orion's son._

"And a fine young one he is," Ryan said without exaggeration, noting the robustness of the bagon's form.

 _One day, he hopes that his son will take his place as the alpha of all dragons in this region,_ Cutter said, translating another series of vocalizations from Orion. _He wants to know if you would train him, to make him strong like you, so that when his time comes, he will be ready._

Orion nosed the bagon forward but it only took a few steps before halting and turning back toward its father. After more prodding from the salamence, the bagon reluctantly moved close enough to Ryan for him to get a good look at it.

The bagon avoided Ryan's gaze as he peered down at it. "I'm not so sure he wants me to train him," Ryan noted as the bagon began to edge away from him.

Translating further, Cutter said, _Orion knows this, and this is exactly why he wants you to train him. Orion avoided humans for most of his life and as a result he never truly learned how to deal effectively with them. He doesn't want his son to have this handicap._

"What about his mother?" Ryan asked. "I hope she won't object to this."

Orion made a low growl that didn't quite seem to escape his throat.

 _He says 'She no longer flies in these skies'._

In a low aside, Ryan asked, "What does that mean? Is she dead? Did she get caught by a trainer? Migrate away?"

Cutter pondered for a moment, then said, _I'm not entirely sure, but I sense that it would be best not to press him about it._

"Fair enough," Ryan said. To Orion, he said, "If that's what you want, then I would be honored to look after your son and train him to be strong."

Orion made a soft, rattling rumble and nodded.

 _What will you name him?_

Ryan pondered for a moment. "How about... Sky." He looked up at Orion for some sign of the salamence's approval - or lack thereof - of his choice but the great dragon merely looked down at him with an unreadable expression.

"I want thank you again for sharing your experiences with my parents," Ryan said, looking up at the salamence. "I was wondering if you would help me with one last thing."

# # #

"Sir, there's something outside that you need to see," the young Ranger said as he rushed into the office, practically tripping over his own feet as he came through the door.

"Slow down, now," the elderly man behind the desk replied. "What's going on?"

"Orion just landed outside on the main road."

"Orion, you say?" The man stroked his long mustache which was grayed to near-whiteness.

"Yes, and he was carrying someone."

"Are they injured?" The elder Ranger said as he rose, donning his wide-brimmed hat.

"No, sir," the younger man replied. "It appeared he was riding on Orion's back."

"On his back? Orion doesn't let people ride him like that. Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes, sir. There's no mistaking that one."

As the two men exited the office, the elder Ranger immediately spied the salamence's imposing form as he sat upon the road. "Well, now, it's been awhile you great, blue beast. What brings you out to..." the sight of the young man stepping out from behind Orion brought him up short.

"Excuse me, but are you Lieutenant Davis?" the newcomer asked.

"Bless my soul," the elder Ranger softly exclaimed. "Ryan?"

"Um, yes," the young man replied. "How did you know?"

"Because you're the very image of your father, that's how. And it's Captain Davis, now." He stepped forward, extending a hand. "Miles Davis."

Ryan shook the man's hand. "Did you know my father well?"

"Oh, yes," Miles said with a smile. "We were friends for years."

"I was hoping someone here could tell me more about my parents. I didn't really know anything about them until I talked with Orion."

"You talked with Orion, did you? Your mother was the only other person who's done that." Miles looked up at the looming form of the salamence. "I remember the day he brought you to us. Terrible thing, losing both parents in one day."

"Yeah. Things... well, they didn't go very well for me after that."

"Yes, I learned about the incident with your uncle years ago. I'd planned on paying you a visit a while back but when you entered the foster care system, the records of your whereabouts became confidential." Miles adjusted his hat. "I'm sorry about everything that's happened. Your father, your uncle... Damn."

"It's not like you had any control over the weather and as far as I know, my uncle was the only other living relative I had in the country. Not much you can do about that."

"True, but losing a friend still hurts, even after all these years." He clapped a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "But you're here now. Why don't we go inside? My alakazam just put on a fresh pot of coffee and I can tell you all about your folks." A grin creased the old Ranger's face as he led Ryan toward the station's main office. "You know, your father was absolutely insufferable the day he found out Ilyena was pregnant..."

* * *

Author's note:

First off, my apologies for the lengthy delay in getting this chapter out. Some unforeseen problems prevented me from posting this sooner. Rest assured, I'm not bailing on this story.

Next, a big thank you to my readers who have pushed this story past 2000 views. Awesome.

As always, I welcome any and all input on the story. Reviews and PMs are appreciated.

See you in Chapter 17!


	17. Family Matters

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Family Matters**

A trio of black-clad forms - two men and a woman - huddled outside the Pokemon League facility, hidden by the darkness broken only by the dusting of stars peeking through the blanket of the night sky above. The woman's eyes closed in concentration for a moment and the darkness surrounding them seemed to deepen and draw itself around the group, shrouding them in shifting shadows. The woman opened her eyes and nodded in satisfaction, then directed her group toward the side door with a single command whispered through the balaclava covering her face.

One of the two men accompanying her approached the keypad next to the door and placed his palm upon it. Tiny arcs of electricity danced between his fingers for several seconds until the keypad beeped and the door popped ajar. The shadowy darkness clung to the three as they entered, as though the night itself had grasped them in smoky tendrils that refused to let go even as they made their way down the empty hallway.

The woman glanced up at a camera mounted high on the ceiling, paying it no mind as they crept silently onward. Even if someone was watching the video feed, their passage would appear as little more than a momentary wavering smudge on the image, likely to be viewed as nothing more than a camera glitch.

They had just passed the camera when the sound of a door opening immediately to the black-clad woman's right made her whip her head around in alarm. A middle-aged woman appeared from the doorway, looking up from the tablet in her hand. She suddenly stopped, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the shadow-cloaked trio before her.

 _Damn!,_ the black-clad woman thought, _This wing was supposed to be all but deserted at this late hour!_

As the older woman stumbled backward, the masked female whipped her arm forward, slinging a ribbon of darkness into the startled woman's mouth, stifling her cry of alarm before it could form. The second man of the group rushed forward and touched a finger to the woman's forehead as she clawed mutely at the smoky tendrils filling her mouth. At his touch, her eyes rolled back and she slumped to the ground.

The masked female withdrew her impromptu gag as her companions quickly pulled the woman back into the room she had just exited. Her balaclava covered her smile of approval at their quick and skillful action. After succumbing to Whisper's psychic attack, that woman probably wouldn't even remember this encounter.

Her companions reappeared and closed the door behind them.

 _All is secure, Nightshade,_ Whisper said into her mind.

 _Good work,_ She thought, knowing that Whisper would be reading her mind. _Let's keep moving. The target area is just ahead._

They crept onward until they came at last to a door inset with a large glass window. On the other side, a young man in business-casual attire sat at a wide control panel along a many-windowed wall overlooking a large enclosure. Above the windows were arrayed banks of monitors. An avian pokemon - a hoothoot, by the looks of it - sat perched near the young man on the back of an empty chair.

As expected, the man was alone.

As Whisper edged forward toward the door, Nightshade faded back out of sight along with Blitz, their electrically gifted partner. She saw Whisper concentrate for a few moments then heard a voice from the room beyond.

"Man, Rollo, I'm getting a major case of the munchies. What do you say we pop over to Burgermeister? If they're open, I'll get you some of those chicken nuggets you like, too."

As the hoothoot cooed an enthusiastic response, Whisper quickly ducked out of sight. Shortly thereafter, the young man exited the room with a poké ball in hand.

As soon as the coast was clear, the trio entered the control room and looked out at the stadium-sized enclosure which contained a small group of shieldon resting on a wide stretch of grass bounded by thick walls reinforced with dimly glowing energy fields. Nightshade nodded to her companions who quickly set to work.

Blitz sat at a computer terminal, tapping away at a furious pace. Before long, the energy fields along the walls winked out. At that, Whisper disappeared in a bending of space. Nightshade watched his progress through the monitors as he reappeared inside the enclosure, placing small objects along the walls. He continued his work in other enclosures, placing more devices in pens containing rampardos, kabutops and even one containing a pair of tyrantrum.

Finally, Whisper reappeared in their midst. He retrieved from a pocket a small box containing numerous buttons and a small antenna, holding it up silently before Nightshade. She nodded for him to proceed.

When he pressed the first of the buttons, a tremendous explosion rocked the enclosure beyond. Huge sections of the outer were blasted in all directions in blinding spreads of light and fire, leaving massive gaps in their span. The thunderous roar jolted the herd of shieldon from their slumber and they bolted to their feet. A second wave of much smaller explosions - creating loud bangs but only brief flashes - on their near side whipped them into a stampede toward the ruined walls, which they easily bashed through with their broad, armored heads.

As the shriek of alarms began to echo through the halls, she saw more explosions through the monitors which drove wild-eyed rampardos and tyrantrum from their enclosures and out into the unsuspecting city beyond. Finally, a distant, muffled _whump._ Those would be the charges on the kabutops enclosures. The breaches made by those explosives opened into the League research facility itself. The savage insectoid pokemon that were now beginning to flood unchecked into the facility would keep the League personnel here much too occupied to deal with the escaping fossil pokemon heading toward Angel City.

As soon as Nightshade stepped away from the console, Blitz unleashed a torrent of lightning from his hands, frying the electronic equipment and any evidence of their tampering. With their mission accomplished, Whisper placed a hand on his teammates' shoulders and they all disappeared from amidst the unfolding chaos.

# # #

The early morning sunlight slanted in under the drawn curtains of the motel room, casting a glow upon the feet of Stacy's blaziken, Max, as he sat upon the edge of the bed watching as Stacy slowly roused to wakefulness. Given that Stacy often traveled for competitions, Max was accustomed to sleeping in motels, but this time she had made none of the usual preparations. She had brought no bags, no extra belongings, not even an extra change of clothing.

Stacy pulled back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, her body bare but for the large gauze pad covering her shoulder. Max frowned at the sight. Though he often saw her unclothed, it was unusual for her to sleep that way. Of course, since she had apparently brought no other clothes along but the ones she wore yesterday - currently lying in a pile on the floor - there was nothing for her to wear to bed.

He saw her clasp her arms around her middle, shivering from the morning's chill. Max slid onto the bed behind her and wrapped his arms around her, exuding an extra bit of heat from his body to warm her. Though her shivering quickly subsided in his embrace, she sat uncharacteristically still and silent. After a few minutes, the silence was broken by the sound of muffled sobs slipping softly between the fingers of her hands pressed to her face.

Max held her as she cried, distressed at this most unwelcome turn of events. It had been so long since he had seen her in such a state, the last time being when he was a combusken. Now, each whimpering sob cut through his heart like a knife and he felt his own eyes beginning to burn with unwelcome tears.

He quickly blinked them back. He needed to be strong for her.

He glanced at his poké ball sitting alone on the nightstand. If only Gia were here, she would explain things to him - why they were here so suddenly and why Stacy was alone and crying in his arms.

Well, not entirely alone, at least. Not as long as he still breathed, anyway.

Once her tears had subsided into sniffles, he drew her to her feet and ushered her toward the room's bathroom. A good shower usually improved her mood in the morning. Hopefully, it would do so now. She seemed to take the hint and nodded to him, then stepped inside.

Max went back to the bed and sat down, listening to the sound of running water echoing from the bathroom as he worked his mind around the many strange things that had happened since the previous night when he had fought back the tyrantrum. First, the trip to the pokemon center, from which only he had returned. Then, at home, the words - so many of them spoken by so many people - that he couldn't follow. Now, they were here in this strange place and Stacy, normally confident and in charge, broken down in tears. How could he help her when he wasn't even sure what was happening?

He hadn't realized that the sounds from the shower had stopped until he saw Stacy standing before him with a towel wrapped around herself, her long, light brown hair hanging down in damp, ropy strands.

She looked down at her clothing piled on the floor and wrinkled her nose. "Well, I guess I can't just walk around naked all day, can I?" she said, then bent down and began putting them back on. Now clothed, though in wrinkled, dirty garments, she plopped back down on the bed. "Now what?"

Fortunately, Max had just figured out a response to that very question. He snatched her cell phone from the nightstand and held it eagerly before her.

"What? No, Max," Stacy said, waving it away with a weary hand, "I'm not calling my parents."

Max shook his head, still holding out the phone.

"I'm not calling Christina either. I don't want her mixed up in this."

Max grunted then stood straight, making a face of exaggerated seriousness while pretending to grasp a long, thin object in both hands with one end planted on the ground before him.

Stacy stared at him for a moment then said, "You want me to call Ryan?"

Max bobbed his head, punctuating the gesture with a bass clucking and held out the phone again.

Stacy blinked then looked away. "I don't... I don't think I..."

Max sat down next to her and murmured softly, placing the phone in her hand.

# # #

Cutter lay in bed, the blankets drawn up to his chin, still drowsy, though he had awakened some time ago. He glanced over at Ryan who lay beside him. Even when Ryan slept, he could still feel the presence of his mind. This was especially true when he was dreaming, as he was now, when his emotions were raw and unfiltered. Cutter closed his eyes and smiled, basking in the subtle warmth of what was apparently a good dream for Ryan.

He had to be careful how much he opened his mind to Ryan in these unguarded moments, as he had learned when he had "listened in" on one of a rather intimate nature. And though it taught him to be a bit more circumspect, the experience also helped him to understand Ryan's feelings toward his friend Kimmie, who was the subject of said dream. And even though he still wanted to see Ryan spend more time with Christina, he couldn't deny the special, ineffable quality to the relationship Ryan had with Kimmie, forged through the years of their close friendship.

The sound of a phone ringing roused Ryan from his slumber. He looked over at the source of the sound, blinking dumbly as his sleep-addled brain struggled to verify that this wasn't still a part of the dream he'd been having until a few seconds ago. His pikachu, Spike, who had been nestled against his side, peeked his head out from under the blankets long enough to give Ryan a dirty look and a grunt then dove back under the covers.

Ryan fumbled for the phone, but it lay just out of reach.

In a moment of inspiration, Ryan extended a hand, his brow furrowing in concentration. A moment later, the still-ringing phone quivered upon the table then flew toward Ryan as if possessed, smacking into his hand.

"Heh, the force is strong with this one," Ryan said with a grin, glancing over at Cutter.

Cutter rolled his eyes. Well, at least he hadn't been _completely_ neglecting his exercises.

Ryan thumbed the talk button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

Cutter waited, listening while Ryan spoke in short, broken sentences to the caller who, judging by Ryan's responses, was growing increasingly upset.

"Okay, just sit tight," Ryan said to the caller. "I'll be over in a bit," then hung up.

 _Who was that?_ Cutter asked, seeing Ryan's worried expression.

"It was Stacy. Apparently, she had a major blowout with her parents and now she's at a motel." Ryan paused as Buster hopped up onto the bed, nosing at his hand. He gave the metalleon a scratch. "She sounded pretty upset."

# # #

As Ryan approached the motel, he could see tendrils of smoke rising from a distant corner of the city. _Looks like someone's having a worse day than us_ , Ryan thought as he parked his motorcycle out front and searched for the room number Stacy had told him over the phone. When he found it, he knocked on the door which quickly opened to reveal a somewhat disheveled Stacy with Max standing close behind her.

Ryan quickly took in her rumpled appearance. "You look like hell, Stacy," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, looking down and away.

From the corner of his eye, Ryan saw Cutter look up at him with what was assuredly a disapproving glare. Deciding not to spare a glance to confirm it, Ryan instead put a hand on Stacy's shoulder. "Why don't we go inside and you can tell me all about what happened and see if we can't figure this whole thing out, okay?"

Stacy looked back up into Ryan's eyes and nodded silently.

Ryan put his arm around her shoulders and gently led her back inside. A pair of wooden chairs flanked a small, round table in the room, but feeling Stacy lean into his side as they walked, he instead sat her down on the edge of the bed and sat down next to her. He saw a small nod of approval from Max as he and Cutter seated themselves in the chairs.

"So," Ryan began, "let's start from the top. What happened last night?"

Stacy then related the full account of her and Christina's attack on the Xenon truck, the fight with the Prometheans and the subsequent battle with the tyrantrum, culminating in its capture.

"Well, that was sure one hell of a night," Ryan said after hearing the full recounting.

"In more ways than one," Stacy replied. "My pokemon..." Her voice cracked and her words caught in her throat.

"What about your pokemon?" Ryan glanced around and saw no poké balls, save for the one on the nightstand which he assumed belonged to Max. "Where are they?"

Stacy shook her head. "I should've made Christina take me to the pokemon center before taking me to the hospital..."

"The hospital?" Ryan interrupted. "You didn't mention anything about needing to go to the hospital!" He quickly looked her over but saw no obvious sign of injury. He then put his hand on her opposite shoulder - he'd felt the lumpiness there as he walked her in but had thought it was just wrinkles in her coat - and felt her wince as his hand pressed on it. "Show me," he said.

She looked for a moment like she was about to argue, but instead she quietly pulled off her coat and lifted the sleeve of her shirt to reveal the large gauze pad.

"Hold still," Ryan said as he gently peeled the bottom of the bandage up. He let out a low whistle when he saw the long, angry slash held together with stitches. "Holy shit, Stacy, didn't the hospital have any pokemon to help with that?"

Stacy sighed, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Yes, they did, but hospitals usually save their abilities for people who have much more serious injuries."

Ryan gestured to his gallade. "Hey, Cutter, come on over and help her out with this, would you?"

Cutter hurried over and sat down next to Stacy, placing his hands on her arm.

As a faint healing glow washed over Stacy's shoulder, Ryan gave her a nudge. "I seem to remember someone telling me not to rush off on my own. You don't know who might've said that, do you?"

"I wasn't alone," Stacy shot back. "Christina came with me. Besides, I didn't want to drag you back into this so soon after..." she trailed off and looked away uncomfortably.

"I get it," Ryan said quietly. His own ordeal with Xenon was still fresh in his mind. Seeing the glow around Stacy's shoulder subside, he looked over at Cutter. "How's it looking over there?"

 _I've done what I can,_ Cutter replied. _It's not fully healed, but at least it's better than what it was._

Ryan turned Stacy so he could see the wound, which was now a mostly-healed line of pink flesh studded with small scabs. "Good job, Cutter," Ryan said to his gallade who beamed at the complement. He patted his lap and said to Stacy, "Now, lay down here so I can get those stitches out."

She nodded and lay as directed while Ryan pulled his multitool out of his pocket. He unfolded the small scissors and began snipping at the tiny threads with practiced ease. Before Doctor Lynd had hired her intern, he'd gotten plenty of practice removing sutures from pokemon under her direction.

"Now, what about your pokemon?" Ryan asked as he continued working.

"I took them to a pokemon center. They were all pretty bad off except for Max. Dredge and Rush had it the worst but Gia's injuries were almost as bad. They said they might not..." Stacy's words cut off with a sniffle, but she continued. "I wanted to stay but the doctors told me to go home. I guess I was a pretty rough sight myself."

Ryan gently pulled out another suture and set it aside. "I can imagine."

"It turns out my mother's a lot more connected in the medical community than I thought. By the time I got home, she'd already heard from both the hospital and the pokemon center. There was no hiding it at that point, so I told her everything that happened. Things got pretty heated after that. My mom got all pissy about me being reckless and my dad got in on it, too. I told them that I'm not a little girl anymore and that they need to stop treating me like one. It all went downhill pretty fast from there."

"And that's why you're here at a motel room in what I assume is yesterday's clothes," Ryan observed. "I guess that would explain why Doctor Lynd didn't show up for work today."

She remained silent as Ryan pulled out the last of the stitches. He noted that she made no immediate effort to rise once he had finished his work and he looked down to see tears welling silently in her eyes.

"My parents hate me, Ryan," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if my pokemon are going to die. I don't know how..."

"Alright," Ryan said, laying a hand on her cheek. "I want you to just sit tight here for a bit. Right now I'm going to see to getting you some fresh clothes and something to eat, okay?"

She nodded silently into his lap.

Ryan sat her back up and wiped the tears from her face. "We're going to work this out, okay?"

She looked into his eyes and nodded again.

Ryan stood and headed for the door. He turned to Max, and said, "Look after her until I get back."

The blaziken nodded solemnly and sat down next to Stacy.

"Don't worry," Ryan said. "I won't be long."

As Ryan made his way toward the motel's parking lot, he pulled out his cell phone and called Christina who was relieved to hear from him since Stacy hadn't been answering her phone since the previous night. He told her where to find Stacy and to put together a suitcase of clothes for her sister. After finishing the conversation, he headed for his motorcycle.

 _Do you really think Doctor Lynd hates Stacy?_ Cutter asked.

"No, I don't," Ryan responded, "but I do think it's going to take some doing to fix this." Ryan sighed and shook his head. "I have to admit, I might be bit out of my league on this one."

 _At least there's a restaurant just down the street where we can get some food for Stacy,_ Cutter said.

"Actually, I think I'll swing by the pokemon center and check on Stacy's pokemon first," Ryan said. "Hopefully, we can give her some good news about her pokemon along with some hot chow."

 _If the news isn't good, though, I think it might be best to hold off on telling her until later._

"Ya think?" Ryan retorted. He saw Cutter's mildly wounded expression and shook his head. "Sorry. This thing's already a shit sandwich. Let's not talk about how much of it we're going to eat until we know how high the plate's stacked, okay?"

# # #

Ryan strode through the double doors of the pokemon center and into the lobby which was brightly lit by the morning sunlight reflecting off the shiny linoleum flooring emblazoned with a large poké ball graphic. The air in the lobby was thick with the sounds and smells of the dozens of pokemon of various shapes and sizes and the people who carried them in arms or carrier cages. Ryan spotted a man in a white doctor's coat speaking to a woman and a small child holding a slumbering patrat. As soon as their conversation ended, Ryan swept in to get the doctor's attention.

"Excuse me..." Ryan began.

"If you need assistance with your gallade," the veterinarian cut in, eyeing Cutter, "please check in with the receptionist first."

"Actually, I'm here about someone else's pokemon."

"I'm sorry," the vet replied, "but we don't normally discuss clients or their pokemon with others without prior approval."

"She came in last night," Ryan pressed. "Her pokemon were pretty messed up and I was hoping to give her an update on how they're doing. Her name's Stacy Lynd."

The man's eyebrows rose. "Doctor Lynd's girl?" He glanced at Cutter again. "Wait, are you Ryan?"

"One and the same," Ryan replied. "How'd you know?"

"Doctor Lynd is kind enough to share her experiences with unusual pokemon with us. Even here in Angel City, we don't often get to work with gallade. She speaks well of you, you know."

"Oh. Does that mean you'll help me out?" Ryan offered hopefully. "Stacy's a friend of mine and she's kind of in a bad way right now."

The veterinarian thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose in this particular case it wouldn't hurt. Come with me."

He led Ryan into the back of the pokemon center. A familiar antiseptic scent - much like at Doctor Lynd's clinic - permeated the air, prickling his nose as the doctor led him past rows of tables where other veterinary doctors worked on a variety of pokemon patients. They passed a second set of doors into a room dominated by large machinery rather than people.

"Stacy's tropius and empoleon had the least serious injuries," The doctor began, pointing to a large machine with numerous flashing lights and displays where two poké balls sat perched upon a receptacle. "They're being treated in our bio-reactor now."

"And the rest?" Ryan asked.

"This way," the veterinarian replied.

Ryan felt a weight settling into his gut at the veterinarian's somber tone and he followed him down another hallway. The doctor led him into a wide room filled with large, padded tables and softly beeping machines. Upon three of the tables lay Rush, Dredge and Gia, each of them connected to a myriad of hoses, tubes and wires.

Ryan stepped slowly toward the luxray, his eye immediately drawn to the large, bare patch on his side where his midnight-blue fur had been shaved down to the skin. A large, ragged slash cut through the island of flesh, its puckered edges held together with thick sutures. Rush's chest rose and fell in time with the hissing of the machine at the bedside from which a plastic hose snaked down into the luxray's throat.

In some ways, Dredge looked even worse off, even though he wasn't hooked up to a respirator as Rush was. Five large bandages covered his abdomen and four separate intravenous feeds were attached to his limbs.

"As you can see, her luxray had the worst of it," The doctor said. "If she hadn't stasis-locked him before bringing him to us, he wouldn't have survived. As it is, he's still far too injured to spend more than a few minutes at a time in a bio-reactor."

"What about the krookodile?" Ryan asked.

"He's suffered damage to several organs," the doctor began, gesturing to Dredge, "but he seems to be responding well to treatment. He'll be on a series of IVs until his liver is repaired enough to take over on its own."

Ryan watched Cutter walk over to Gia's bedside. A large gauze wrapping, shot through in places with speckles of blood, enshrouded most of her head except for one eye, an ear and her mouth.

"And her gardevoir?" Ryan asked.

"That," the vet said slowly, "is a different matter."

# # #

As Ryan entered the motel room, Stacy eagerly eyed the bag he carried which issued forth a variety of delicious aromas. Before she could inquire of its contents, Christina, following close behind, dropped the large gym bag she was carrying and rushed forward to throw her arms around her sister. Twitch, riding on Christina's shoulder, hastily abandoned her perch as the girls embraced.

After their moment of reunion, Stacy gratefully took the gym bag her sister had brought into the bathroom and emerged in fresh clothing. She then took the bag of food Ryan had brought and laid into it with gusto.

"I was so worried after you got into that fight last night with mom and dad," Christina said. "I've never heard you guys yell at each other like that. And when you didn't come back…"

"I didn't mean to worry you," Stacy replied. "Things just, well, got kind of out of hand. How's Jennifer?"

Christina's face fell. "Upset. She doesn't know how to take all of this."

"By the way," Ryan said, breaking the moment of silence that followed as it threatened to lengthen uncomfortably, "while I was out, I swung by the Pokemon center."

"You did?" The plastic utensils with which Stacy was dispatching her pancakes and eggs suddenly hovered motionless over the Styrofoam carton. "How are they?"

"Freya and Samson are fine. In fact, they should be ready to come home by the end of the day."

"And the rest?" Stacy asked in a more subdued tone.

"I won't lie. Rush and Dredge are in pretty rough shape. But," he quickly added, "the vet said he's confident they'll pull through."

"What about Gia?" Stacy pressed.

"The vet was pretty worried about her head trauma, but all things considered, it was pretty lucky that's how it happened."

Christina's face registered open disbelief. "Even I know that head trauma is the worst kind for psychic types and I saw the hit Gia took. How the hell could he say that it was lucky?"

"Because she's pregnant," Ryan said mildly.

After a long moment of silence, Stacy said, "Pregnant? But how?"

"Well, you see, when a boy pokemon and a girl pokemon love each other very much…" Ryan began with a grin.

"Oh, stop it," Christina said, shooting Ryan an annoyed look. To Stacy she said, "It's Cutter, obviously. Please don't tell me you haven't seen them making eyes at each other."

Max, seated nearby, simply nodded.

"My Gia's going to have a little one? That's just… I had no idea!" Stacy leaned back in her chair as a panoply of emotion played across her face and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "But Gia's going to be okay isn't she?"

"The vet said that there didn't appear to be any brain damage." Ryan said with a smile. "Lucky, part two. And speaking of lucky," Ryan clapped Cutter on the shoulder, "looks like you're going to be a daddy."

Cutter straightened, attempting a stoic look, but the large smile on his face fairly well ruined it.

Just then, there came a knock at the door that made everyone turn.

"That should be the final member of this little soiree," Ryan said as he got up to answer the door.

Even before Ryan moved out of the doorway for everyone to be able to see the visitor clearly, the newcomer's stance - one hand resting on a cocked hip - and long, lustrous black hair was unmistakable.

Christina leaned to one side for a better look. "Kimmie?"

"The one and only," Kimmie said, striding into the room.

Stacy's brow knitted in confusion. "But why are you here?"

"I called her," Ryan said. "You see, as much as I want to help, I don't really have much experience dealing with family problems. Well, not the kind of experience that would help you, anyway. I figured the best thing to do was call in some outside help."

Kimmie's presence was met with looks of mild reluctance from both Stacy and Christina. "Ryan filled me in with the broad strokes," Kimmie said, breaking the silence. "You got in a nasty tangle with some gang bangers, you got hurt and your pokemon took a beating that landed them in intensive care. Then your mother caught wind of it, you had a screaming match with your folks and here you are. That about sum it up?"

Stacy stared blankly at Kimmie for a moment, then responded, "Oh. Yes. That's right."

Ryan was relieved that Stacy had quickly picked up on the minor fabrication he'd inserted as a cover for their continuing illicit activities.

"A friend of Ryan's is a friend of mine, so I'd like to help if I can," Kimmie said. "Can I ask you a couple questions, Stacy? They won't be anything terribly personal, I promise."

Stacy thought for a moment, then finally nodded.

After a brief exchange, Kimmie began ticking off the answers to her questions on her fingers. "So, your mother has four children. You're the oldest, and you're going to turn eighteen in a month or so."

"That's right," Stacy replied.

"I think I see what's happening here," Kimmie said, nodding to herself.

"And that would be?" Christina chimed in.

"Your mother doesn't know how to handle your sister," Kimmie said simply.

Christina regarded Kimmie with a skeptical eye. "We have a pretty big family and my mother's been taking care of us for years. I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing by now."

Kimmie shook her head. "Your mother may have lots of kids, but Stacy's the first one to actually grow all the way up. Don't get me wrong. Your mom may be a pro at raising her children but she's never had to face the prospect of letting one go. This is something her experience hasn't prepared her for. Couple that with you getting hurt and you have a recipe for maternal angst on steroids."

"I've never seen my mom lose her cool like that before," Stacy said. "No matter how bad things got, she always seemed to be calm and in control. Last night she lost it as much as I did."

Kimmie nodded. "When I moved out a year ago, my mom was all like, 'My little Kumiko! My little girl is going away!' Even though there wasn't a fight or anything, it was still rough on her. Even my dad got misty-eyed."

"Wait. Kumiko?" Christina asked.

"That's her real name," Ryan said. "Kumiko Nakamura."

Kimmie made a face. "I never much liked the name. One of the guys I dated tried to impress me by saying he liked it. He may have even meant it. I've never cared for it though, so I just go by Kimmie." She turned to Stacy. "Don't worry. It's not the end of the world, or even your family. I think I can help, if that's what you want."

Stacy looked down at the remnants of her breakfast. "Yeah. I would."

Kimmie slapped her hand against her thigh. "Okay then. In that case, I need everyone out. That means you too, Christina. Stacy and I need to have some private time to figure this out." Seeing Stacy's eyes stray toward her blaziken, she added, "Max can stay, of course."

Thus dismissed, Ryan and Christina, along with their pokemon, left the room, making their way toward the front of the motel and sat down on a strip of grass near the sidewalk. The sounds of traffic crisscrossing the street beyond filled the crisp morning air.

"Do you really think your friend can help Stacy?" Christina asked, pulling her light jacket around herself.

"Kimmie knows a lot more about family than I do and she's smart. Smarter than me, anyway."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Ryan. If it wasn't for you, I don't know how we'd be sorting this mess out."

Ryan shrugged. "I'm sure it would've all worked out in the end anyway. All I did was run a few errands."

"You looked after my sister when she needed it. It may not have been a big deal to you, but it means a lot to me." She put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Thank you."

Ryan saw that her eyes which now looked into his own, brimmed with warmth and sincerity and he wondered at the strange, infectious quality of the smile that lit up her face that seemed to lift his own spirits. Suddenly self-conscious, he hastily looked away. "So, you, um, actually have a tyrantrum now, do you?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure how I'm going to handle him. Dinosaur pokemon are so powerful and dangerous and hard to train. Stacy said she'd help me train him, but that was before all this."

Ryan pondered for a moment then said, "Actually, I think you should take her up on that offer. I think she could use the distraction and you definitely need to get that prehistoric murder machine under control ASAP. Hell, I need to do the same thing with my new pokemon."

"You have a new pokemon?" Christina exclaimed. "What is it?"

Ryan then began relating his own recent experience in looking for the salamence Orion and the subsequent revelations about his own family he received upon finding him. He then described how he'd come to be the caretaker of the bagon within the sixth poké ball on his belt.

"That's so amazing, Ryan!" Christina finally said. "You've always wanted to know more about your parents and now you finally do."

"The Pokemon Ranger who worked with my dad gave me some pictures of them, too," Ryan said. He pulled out his phone and began flashing through various images of his mother and father.

"That one's adorable!" Christina cooed, pointing to an image of his mother holding him as an infant.

"Something like that," Ryan said, his face reddening slightly as he fished out a chain necklace hanging down inside his shirt from which dangled two golden rings. "He also gave me these. They were my parents' wedding bands. The one belonging to my dad was the one of the few recognizable things they were able to recover from his body."

Christina touched a finger to the larger of the two rings. "After all these years, a little piece of their love found its way to you to keep wherever you go."

"Yeah," Ryan said, looking down at the rings in his hand. "I guess it did."

Just then, their attention was drawn by the approach of Stacy and Kimmie walking together towards them.

"Hey, you two," Kimmie called out, waving.

Christina rose and rushed to meet her sister. "So, did you get everything figured out?"

"I did," Stacy said, smiling. "Kimmie and I talked things through and I think I know how we're going to work through this."

"Oh, good," Christina said with visible relief. "Then let's go home. Jennifer will be glad to…"

"Actually, I'm not going home," Stacy interrupted.

Christina's mouth hung open for a moment, having stopped in mid-sentence. Though she quickly recovered, a stricken look fell across her face. "What do you mean you're not coming home?"

"I'm an adult now, Christina, or at least I will be in a matter of weeks. Mom and dad need to come to terms with that, and in a way, so do I. I need to move forward with my life."

Christina stared at Stacy in disbelief. "But I… I thought you said you wanted to work this out. How…"

Stacy drew her sister into her arms. "Don't worry, I'm not saying goodbye to anyone, least of all to you. I need to establish myself as my own independent person before our parents and I can really work things out. Besides, I think all of us need time to cool off and think things over before we resume our conversation about this."

"Are you sure about this?" Christina asked. "I'm not sure Jennifer will understand."

"Then I guess I'm going to need your help with that," Stacy replied.

Finally, the two sisters broke the embrace, though Christina kept a hand on Stacy's shoulder. "But where will you live?"

"Well, not here, that's for sure. I'm going to check into a nicer place while I look for an apartment. Don't worry, I have plenty of money saved up from all my League winnings so I won't be strapped for cash. Hey, you can help me pick where I'm going to live. Then you can come over and we can hang out whenever you want. Won't that be great?"

"I can visit whenever I want?"

"Of course you can, silly! This doesn't change anything between us. You tell Jennifer that, too."

Christina paused in thought, then slowly nodded. "If this is what you really want, then it's okay with me." Christina held up a finger, adding, "But you better let me know when you're ready to pick an apartment. And you better take my calls, dammit!"

Stacy held up a hand and smiled. "I will, I promise." She turned to Ryan and put a hand on his shoulder. "I want to thank you as well."

"Don't thank me, thank Kimmie," Ryan replied. "She's the one who's the miracle worker here."

Kimmie shook her head. "Oh, just take the gratitude already. The whole self-deprecating thing is cute and all, but honestly…" She sighed and patted him on the cheek. "Sometimes the effort is just as important as the results."

# # #

The girls had gone their separate ways, the two sisters driving off in search of a hotel for Stacy to stay at while looking for an apartment and Kimmie departing for home after a wink and a smile. Ryan, however, remained, sitting on a concrete bench along the sidewalk, silently watching the street traffic zoom past.

Cutter watched him for a while before finally speaking. _You know, that was some pretty good work you did, helping out with Stacy's problem. I don't think I would've been able to do it as well with that much fear and anxiety rolling around inside me._

Ryan gave no response as he gazed out at the street.

 _When you saw Rush and Dredge at the Pokemon Center, you were picturing me and Buster and the rest of us on those tables, full of hoses and tubes, weren't you?_

Ryan's hands flexed in his lap, though he still said nothing. His silence didn't matter to Cutter, though. He'd felt Ryan's fear like a knife through his own heart when they stood before Stacy's critically injured pokemon.

 _You know, I was scared, too, when we rescued you from that Xenon facility, especially when you didn't wake up afterward. It was the most scared I've ever been in my life. But when you care about someone, that's just the way it is. They become a part of you - a part you can't always protect. But I've come to accept that as a price I'm willing to pay for our friendship. I hope you will, too._

Ryan turned his eyes from the street, settling his silent gaze upon Cutter.

Sensing the half-formed thoughts that died in Ryan's mind before they could resolve into words, Cutter pressed on. _I know we're into dangerous stuff with Xenon and everything. The thought of something terrible happening to you again has made me feel the same kind of fear and doubt you're feeling right now. But that doesn't mean you should let those fears stop you from doing what you need to do. I believe in what we're doing and I believe in you. We all do. And we'll be there at your side, no matter what._

Ryan closed his eyes, and in that moment, even Cutter couldn't read what Ryan was feeling or thinking. Finally, he opened them and stood. "There's a sandwich place not far from here where they make food for both people and pokemon. We could all eat there. I think the others would like that."

 _I think they would, too,_ Cutter said with a smile.

Ryan gave a nod, and with that, Cutter fell into step with him, walking down the street at his side.


	18. Concerning Dragons

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Concerning Dragons**

Ryan sat on the floor of his room staring at the multiple screens being holographically projected from the eyes of Trace, his upgraded porygon. Each screen overflowed with information about dragon pokemon - their habits, diets, recommended training regimens, and so on. Ryan let out an exhausted breath and leaned back against the broad, furry expanse of his arcanine, Rika's, side. He'd been poring through the internet for anything that might help in his training of the young bagon, Sky. Unfortunately, much of what he'd found contained contradictory information or obvious shortcuts that he thought were likely to cause problems.

Rika swung her great, shaggy head around and gave Ryan an affectionate lick. Ryan smiled and ran his fingers through her thick mane. "Looks like I'm going to need some outside help on this one, big girl," he said.

Cutter, who sat nearby, said, _Why don't you call Stacy?_

Ryan shook his head. "Stacy's helping her sister train that dinosaur of hers. Besides, I have someone else in mind who has some experience with this kind of thing." He turned to his porygon. "Trace, bring up my phone directory."

Trace trilled in response and projected a long table of phone numbers in a separate holographic window.

Ryan reached out and touched one of the entries with a finger. "Call this number, Trace. Make it a video connection."

The sound of the phone dialing filled the air. A moment later, another projected screen opened in midair dominated by the face of a young man sitting in a room festooned with intricate plastic models of various kinds and wallpapered with Pokemon League posters.

"Hello?" the young man said, brushing away a lock of his long bangs which had fallen across his eyes.

"Hey, Shin," Ryan said. "This is Ryan Meadows. I was in the final match at the League pro-am with you."

"I know who you are, Ryan," Shin replied. "It's good to hear from you. That was one hell of a match, you know."

Ryan shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's not like you brought your strongest pokemon."

"And it's not like you've been doing this as long as I have." Just then, Shin's lucario leaned his head into the frame of the video and barked excitedly. Shin laughed and gave his pokemon a scratch. "Katsu says 'hi', by the way. So, have you decided to get into League battling?"

"Not just yet, but I did want to talk to you about pokemon. I'm told that you have some experience training dragon pokemon. I was hoping you could give me some advice."

Shin smiled. "Well, now, if you've got a dragon on your hands, then I'm glad you called. Dragon pokemon are the hardest to train and things can really go sideways if you do it wrong."

"That's what I'm trying to avoid," Ryan said, "especially because this one's kind of high-stakes. You see, he was entrusted to me by his dad who is, like, _the_ top dragon in the food chain around here and that's one salamence I don't want to piss off."

"Wait, you're not talking about Orion are you?"

"Yeah, actually. I guess you've heard of him, then."

Shin rested his hand on the head of his lucario who had settled in behind him, laying his head on Shin's shoulder. "I know about most of the alpha dragons around the world. I've even met a couple of them. I've never met Orion, though, but from what I understand, he's one of the biggest. The only one I know who might be tougher is a dragonite named Tai Shan over in China. So, what'd you name the little guy and how'd you manage to score Orion's offspring, anyway?"

"His name is Sky. As to how I got him, Orion and my mom were pretty sweet on each other before she died. I'm actually named after the big guy. Anyway, Orion wants me to help toughen him up and teach him about people and stuff." Ryan paused for a moment as the memories he received from the great salamence rushed unbidden through his mind. He rubbed his eyes then glanced at one of the screens containing some of his dragon research that was still open. "I'm really glad you're willing to help out on this one. The only thing I really have going for me otherwise is that Cutter is a great pokemon translator and he can help with communication."

"Actually," Shin began, "having your gallade involved wouldn't be a good idea."

Ryan frowned. "Why not? It worked well with my arcanine, Rika. Wouldn't it be better if Sky understands what I'm trying to tell him?"

Shin shook his head. "It's not a matter of understanding. Dragon pokemon are different. They're proud and headstrong creatures. Before you can train them, you have to establish your dominance. If your commands come from someone else - even if it's one of your pokemon - it'll undermine your dominance."

"Okay," Ryan said slowly, "I think I see what you mean."

"Also, you have to be willing to take a firm hand with them."

"Firm hand, huh?" Ryan cast a glance at Sky's poké ball sitting on the nightstand. "How firm are we talking, exactly?"

"Pretty firm, but you have to be careful, though. The goal is dominance, not cruelty. I found that a good way to get a balky dragon's attention is to pick him up and give him a little shake. Just don't overdo it. You don't want to hurt him."

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. "I hear what you're saying, but I have to say I'm not a big fan of manhandling pokemon."

Shin's countenance suddenly took on a serious mien. "Look, Ryan, that isn't some little buneary you have that you can give a cookie to and get it to roll over. Like I said, they're headstrong creatures and if you don't establish your dominance early on, he'll chafe against your authority and constantly challenge you. The last thing you need is a half-trained dragon turning on you at an inopportune moment, and believe me, he will if you botch this part."

"Right," Ryan said with a sigh. "Well, it looks like I'll have a challenge on my hands."

"Oh, but there's more. You see, you can't just rely on dominance if you want the training to stick. Eventually, they grow up and start to realize that they're stronger than you. A lot stronger."

"'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup'," Ryan said with a chuckle.

"Exactly. So, in order for the training to be successful in the long run, you're going to have to earn its respect."

"Any pointers on that?" Ryan asked.

"Unfortunately, there's no single answer to that question," Shin replied. "Each dragon has their own personality and you have tailor your approach based on that. When my haxorus, Lochaber, was an axew, he had a lot of energy and a short attention span. Keeping him focused and active at the same time was a real challenge. Just keep in mind the things I've told you and use what you've learned in training your other pokemon and you should do alright."

"Yeah, I can do that. Thanks, Shin."

"No problem. By the way," Shin added, wagging a finger at the screen, "that was a pretty good trick you used in the final match of the pro-am, having Cutter slip the elbow like that. Don't think it'll work a second time, though."

Ryan smiled. "I'd be disappointed if it did."

 **# # #**

Christina stepped out of the passenger side of Stacy's car and looked around at the broad clearing where they had stopped amid an expanse of rolling hills dotted with unfamiliar trees. She set the large cooler she was carrying down on the ground and stretched out the kinks that the long drive had bestowed. She buried her hands into her pockets as the crisp winter air prickled her skin. "Was it really necessary to drive this far?" she asked Stacy who was exiting from the driver's side of the car.

"You've seen the news, Christina," Stacy said. "The outskirts of Angel City just got pounded by a bunch of escaped fossil pokemon. People are scared. The last thing we need is for people to see us with an untrained tyrantrum."

Christina pulled the dinosaur pokemon's poké ball from her belt and looked at it. "I suppose".

Stacy leveled a serious look at her sister. "Hey, you better have your head in the game with this. These kinds of pokemon are dangerous."

"I know, Stacy," Christina replied with a touch of annoyance as she released her rhydon, Crash.

"I hope so, because it's important that you understand and respect the power that these pokemon possess. There are dozens of people who don't have a place to live right now because of those out-of-control pokemon." Stacy paused to let her message sink in before continuing. "Okay, let's get started, then. Firm and steady, just like we practiced."

Christina's grip on the timer ball in her hand tightened. She waited until Crash took his place at her side, then took a deep breath and lifted the ball before her, thumbing the release button. In a flash of light, the mighty form of her tyrantrum materialized some thirty feet in front of her. The dinosaur pokemon swung its great head toward her and bared its teeth.

"Brutus, stay!" Christina commanded.

The words had barely left her lips when the tyrantrum roared and charged toward her with its razor-toothed maw gaping hungrily.

Christina quickly held the timer ball out and pressed its recall button. The red retrieval beam struck the tyrantrum, its momentum carrying it forward even as it dematerialized.

"Well, that went about as expected," Stacy said. "Try it again."

Christina repeated the process, releasing the tyrantrum as before. This time, Christina wasn't even able to get his name out before he charged again. Before he could close the distance between them, Christina held out the ball and retrieved him again.

Christina counted slowly to ten then released him a third time. Her words of command were swallowed up in the cacophony of the tyrantrum's bellowing as it jumped up and down, sending tremors through the ground each time its feet slammed down. Wild-eyed and screeching in rage, he turned and charged again, saliva trailing in thick streamers from his mouth.

The sheer ferocity of its charge made Christina falter for a moment before hitting the retrieval button, but that tiny delay allowed the tyrantrum to close the distance between them. Though the dematerialization cycle had begun, the tyrantrum's momentum carried it forward to within striking distance. Christina fell backward with a cry of terror as the dinosaur's teeth began to close around her head.

When she looked up from the ground, though, she saw only Crash standing before her. She touched her hand to her neck where the tyrantrum's teeth had brushed her as it disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Stacy said, rushing to her side. Christina could see that Max was now with her.

"I'm fine," Christina said shakily.

"Look, we can try this another day if you want. It might be better if we let Brutus cool down and..."

"I said I'm fine," Christina said, pushing herself to her feet. Seeing the worry in her sister's face, she added in a softer tone, "Really, I am. I want to keep trying."

"Are you sure?" Stacy asked.

"Yeah." Christina paused to give Crash a gentle pat on his arm. "This is something I need to do."

Stacy nodded and stepped back, though Max remained close at Stacy's side

Christina stooped to pick up Brutus' poké ball from the ground and waited until a count of thirty before releasing him again. As soon as the tyrantrum appeared, she called out in a strong voice, "Brutus, stay!"

The tyrantrum's eyes narrowed as his head swung back toward her. A low sound, something between a growl and a hiss, grated out from between his clenched teeth in steaming wisps made visible by the frigid winter air. He strode forward with measured steps, a cold fury flickering in his cruel eyes.

Christina's hands began to tremble. Something about the tyrantrum's slow, deliberate approach, its eyes full of the promise of death, unnerved Christina in a way that even its previous displays of blind rage hadn't. Steeling herself, she pushed the feeling down and steadied her hand, raising the poké ball once again. "Brutus, stay!"

This time, the tyrantrum's steps halted as its venomous glare slid down to the outstretched poké ball. A moment later its eyes once again bored into her own but it did not resume its forward progress. Instead, it remained in place, growling menacingly.

Without looking away, Christina reached down to the cooler at her feet and withdrew a chunk of meat from inside it, then tossed it in front of the great dinosaur.

At first, the tyrantrum did nothing but continue to glare at Christina. She waited, remaining still and quiet until at last, he slowly bent down to inspect the chunk of meat, still eyeing Christina warily. After a few tentative sniffs, he gulped it down in a single bite.

"Good boy, Brutus," Christina said in a bright voice, then returned him back into the poké ball. She waited only a few seconds before releasing him again.

When he reappeared, she repeated her command to stay. He eyed her suspiciously now, but did not immediately attack. She threw him another chunk of meat which he scrutinized only briefly before dispatching.

She repeated this process several times until at last, her supply of meat was exhausted and Brutus lay stretched out upon the ground with a full belly.

"Good job, Christina," Stacy said, clapping her on the shoulder. "You did that like a pro."

Christina smiled. "I had a pretty good teacher."

"That's true," Stacy said, giving her a playful shove, "but a lot of people would've totally lost it with a full-grown tyrantrum charging at them. You have real potential, and I'm not just saying that." She cast a glance at Brutus whose eyes were beginning to droop. "Don't get complacent though. We still have a lot of work ahead of us before he'll be safe around people, though I think after one more session, you should be able to continue his training on your own. Just be sure to keep your pokemon out when you do, okay?"

Christina nodded. "You got it."

 **# # #**

Ryan stood with his hands on his hips, chewing his lip in frustration as he eyed the obstinate bagon standing impassively on the grass before him. After half an hour of trying, he'd been unable to get Sky to respond to even the simplest commands.

He'd taken Shin's advice to heart and had done everything he could think of to get things off to a good start. He'd brought out all of his pokemon and had them standing behind him as a show of strength. He'd even had Rika, his largest pokemon, respond to several commands in order to further demonstrate his dominance and also to model the behavior he was looking to get from Sky. Nevertheless, the bagon remained unmoved, offering little more than an occasional wary glance in response to his commands.

Ryan turned away with an exasperated sigh. "This isn't working."

 _We knew this wasn't going to be easy, Ryan,_ Cutter said. _Just take your time and remember the advice Shin gave you._

With the cold air prickling Ryan's skin in addition to Sky's obstinacy prickling his nerves, Ryan decided it was indeed time to heed Shin's advice. He quickly strode up to Sky and snatched him up with a sudden swiftness that visibly startled the young bagon. Sky's wide-eyed gaze locked upon Ryan as he held him up before him and Ryan felt a degree of satisfaction at the fact that he at last had the bagon's undivided attention.

But then, Ryan felt something strange - an impulse carrying an ineffable oddness that Ryan had come to recognize through his psychic training as coming from outside himself. As he looked into the bagon's silent gaze, a flow of thought and emotion flashed through his mind in a haphazard jumble. But cutting through it was an undercurrent of something barely recognizable, yet somehow almost familiar.

Ryan clamped down his psychic senses, shutting out the thoughts impinging on his own, then slowly put the bagon back down on the ground. Without another word, he returned him to his poké ball, then turned and started back toward the clinic.

 _Ryan?_ Cutter said, as Ryan silently walked past the assembled pokemon.

Without stopping, Ryan replied, "I think we've both had enough of training for one day."

 **# # #**

The quadrupedal forms of three pokemon - two large and one small - stood gazing down upon a pile of tiny bodies heaped loosely together before them. The tallest of the three had a slender, graceful form with a green and white coloration set off with delicate pink accents. The second was slightly shorter but much broader and stockier - its barrel-chested body covered in a thick, earth-tone hide. Even more impressive than its muscular build, though, was the large set of bladelike forward-curving horns set upon its head. The third seemed somewhat out of place in the group, not only because of its size which marked it as but a youth, but also its thick, brightly colored red and blue mop of hair and bushy tail which both seemed out of proportion to its body.

The tall one shook its broad, wedge-shaped head. "More dead abra," it said in a feminine, lightly accented voice.

"How many does this make?" the stocky one asked, its voice deep and gravelly.

"I've lost count," the tall one replied ruefully.

The stocky one gently pawed at one of the dead abra and his mouth pulled into a grimace. "Cobalion's not going to be happy about this."

The tall, green pokemon hung her head and sighed. "Do we have to tell him, Terrakion?"

Terrakion gave his companion only a level look in response.

The young pokemon who had thus far remained silent looked up at the tall one with troubled eyes. "Lady Virizion, what do you think Master Cobalion's going to do?"

"I don't know, Keldeo," Virizion said sadly. "I don't know."


	19. An Outing to Remember

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 19**

 **An Outing to Remember**

Ryan began wiping down the operating table with an antiseptic wipe, filling the air with a pungent scent as Doctor Lynd carried the table's previous occupant - a slumbering dewott - to a cage where it would rest until the anesthesia wore off. The unlucky pokemon had fought a beedrill and several Pin Missile spikes had broken off their tips deep inside the dewott's body, requiring surgical removal. Owing to Doctor Lynd's skill, very little blood had leaked onto the table and thus, Ryan was able to properly clean it up in very short order.

"It's good to have you back," Ryan said, lobbing the used wipe into the trash can. "It's not the same with just Taylor around."

Doctor Lynd carefully set the dewott on the cage's padded floor and drew a blanket over it. "Why, is he still being snooty about cleanup work?"

"Actually, he's gotten a lot better about that while you've been out," Ryan replied. "I just meant that this place doesn't have the same vibe without you in it."

"I'm glad that necessity has proven to be a better teacher for him in that regard than myself." She set the latch on the cage and straightened. "But it's nice to be missed, too." She slowly washed her hands at the nearby sink then let out a weary sigh. "I think I need a cup of tea. Care to join me?"

Ryan nodded then followed her down the hallway to the kitchen. As they entered, Ryan spotted Kala sitting at the far end of the room - her ponderous bulk dominating the space as though a great boulder had been left propped up in the corner. One of Kala's hands rested in her pouch where Alexander lay enfolded, sleeping quietly under the kangaskhan's watchful gaze. Doctor Lynd bent down over the slumbering infant for a moment before moving on to put two cups of water in the microwave.

Ryan sat down at the table and waited until Doctor Lynd returned with two steaming mugs and a box of teabags before speaking. "You look a little run down, today, Doc," he said, dropping a packet of tea into his cup. "Getting enough sleep?"

Doctor Lynd paused to scrutinize the selection before choosing a teabag and dipping it in her cup several times. "When you have a baby, you never get enough sleep." After letting the tea steep for a bit, she held her mug to her face, inhaling its vapors, then took a sip. "It doesn't help when you have three other children with their own problems to deal with."

Ryan's eyebrows rose. "All three?"

"I know you're aware of the issues between me and Stacy," she said, glancing sharply over her cup, "and I won't be discussing that now."

Ryan simply nodded in response.

"On top of that, Christina has taken possession of an extremely dangerous fossil pokemon, which I most certainly do _not_ approve of, by the way."

Ryan held up his hands. "Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with that."

"I know. It's just that they're very wild and powerful. Trainers have been killed trying to tame those kinds of pokemon. And it doesn't help that Angel City was recently damaged by wild pokemon like that."

Ryan plucked the teabag from his own cup and took a small sip. "Better that she has him than Xenon, though, right?"

"Perhaps, but I still don't like it. I know better than to forbid her from keeping him, though. If I make her get rid of him, she'll just pass him off to Stacy and train him behind my back. At least this way, I can exercise some control over the situation." Doctor Lynd took a long drink from her cup before setting it down again with a sigh. "Do yourself a favor, Ryan. Don't let your children become teenagers."

Ryan peered into his cup, scrutinizing the dark liquid. "Well, I'm not planning on having kids anytime soon, or probably ever, so that's not going to be a problem."

Doctor Lynd chuckled softly, one corner of her mouth quirking up into a half-grin.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, Stacy and Christina are both tough girls. They can handle more than you realize." Ryan paused, noticing that Doctor Lynd's previous mirth had already evaporated. "By the way, I noticed you said 'all three'. So what kind of problems could Jennifer be giving you? I mean, she's seven. It's not like she's going out to raves and snorting coke." He paused with a look of mock seriousness. "She isn't, is she?"

"No Ryan, she isn't," she said, giving him a longsuffering look, "but believe me, even seven year olds can make your life interesting. In this particular instance, the problem is that she's very upset that she can't go to Gateway City for the migration."

Ryan's brow furrowed. "Migration?"

"Yes. This is the time of year when large numbers of marine pokemon like wailmer and wailord pass by Gateway City on their way to warmer waters. Lots of lapras show up in Gateway Bay, too. The kids love it."

The sound of Alexander crying abruptly interrupted their conversation. Kala hastily lifted the infant from her pouch as Doctor Lynd went to retrieve him. She returned and set Alexander on her lap to check his diaper.

Ryan focused his mind on the infant. "Nope."

Doctor Lynd cast a glance at Ryan then shifted Alexander to the crook of her arm and began to unbutton her shirt.

"Nope."

She gave Ryan another glance, this one sharper.

Ryan held out his hands toward Alexander. "Give."

Doctor Lynd handed her son over to Ryan, who held the wailing infant in one arm, adjusting his position several times before finally positioning him face down and tapping his back. A few gentle thumps later, a belch echoed through the kitchen with such volume that it startled Kala.

"Heh. Nice," Ryan said with a chuckle to the now-silent infant.

Doctor Lynd stared at him, eyes widening. "I will pay you _so_ much money to babysit for me, Ryan."

"Oh, I don't think so," Ryan said, looking away uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm not very good with kids and stuff."

"Yes, I can see that," She said mildly, looking pointedly at the infant resting quietly in his arms.

"So, anyway," Ryan said, leaning forward, "why can't Jennifer go to the migration?"

"It's a long trip and she can't go alone. Stacy was supposed to take her, but with her being gone..." She shook her head and sighed. "I've spent too much time away from the clinic as it is and Christina is studying for her midterms. By the time either of us can make time, it'll be over. She's been dying to go all year."

"Well, damn, Doc, I can take her. Why didn't you just ask?"

"I thought about it, but," she paused with a sigh, "sometimes I think I've asked enough of you as it is."

Ryan shrugged. "Nah. I'd be happy to help. I mean, you helped me out more than you know just by letting me work here."

Before Doctor Lynd could respond, Alexander interrupted once again with his cries.

Ryan looked down at him and frowned. "Um, Doc, you're going to have to handle this one."

"Aw, did he make a stinky?" she said teasingly.

"No, actually. _Now_ he's hungry." He handed the baby over then studiously focused on his tea as Doctor Lynd finished unbuttoning her shirt and settled Alexander in to nurse.

"You are a treasure, Ryan," Doctor Lynd said with a tiny smile. "Seriously, though, the babysitting job's an open offer."

 **# # #**

The next morning, Doctor Lynd drove Ryan and Jennifer to the train station in Angel City. Though the trip would take longer by rail, the earliest flight to Gateway City that wasn't already booked wasn't until much later in the day and would have them arrive close to midnight. Plus, Jennifer had fallen in love with travel by rail since her first rail trip with the family a year prior and her mother thought it would make the trip that much more special for her.

"Besides, the scenery on the coastal route is amazing," Doctor Lynd added as she walked them to the platform.

After a kiss for her daughter and a hug for Ryan, she saw them off from the platform as the train pulled away.

Just as Doctor Lynd had said, the scenery was indeed breathtaking, with the railway frequently taking them within view of the coast along their journey. From inside their compartment, Ryan released Cutter so that he could enjoy the view as well. He also let Spike out to stretch his legs, as he often became restless when cooped up in his poké ball for too long. Ryan couldn't help but smile as the young pikachu, not yet familiar with traveling in fast-moving vehicles, zipped back and forth across the window, chasing the scenery, only to dive away in alarm as a nearby signpost streaked by. Meanwhile, Jennifer's buneary, Mocha, remained her constant companion as she popped in and out of their compartment, alternating between gazing out the window and roaming the train.

Finally, late in the evening, the train crested a rise and the magnificent form of the Gateway Bridge could be seen in the distance, stretching across the Gateway Bay, its red-painted towers and suspension cables lit up against the star-speckled backdrop of night. Jennifer, previously drooping, perked up immediately at the sight, pointing excitedly at the span as if it were possible to miss. The bright lights of the cityscape beyond added its own luster to the night, its many skyscrapers reaching into the sky as if to compete with the stars with their own sparkling brilliance. The tallest of these buildings stood out from the rest with its own distinctive shape, its sides sloping like a tall, narrow pyramid to a point from which a bright beacon shone.

At last, the train wended its way slowly through the city and into a station still bustling with activity despite the late hour. As they disembarked, Jennifer eagerly asked if they were going to visit the bay immediately.

"Not yet," Ryan replied. "We have to check in to our hotel first. Besides, you won't be able to see much in the dark."

"But that's the best time," Jennifer pleaded. "Everyone else will be out during the day and all the good spots will be crowded."

Ryan herded her toward a taxi. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty to see tomorrow."

Jennifer's face clearly registered her disappointment but she voiced no further complaints during the taxi ride to their hotel.

Upon their arrival, they saw that their hotel had a weathered facade which gave it a slightly shabby appearance despite the colorful awning over its entrance. As they entered, however, the grand and stately lobby bespoke an elegance - if slightly faded - that had endured the passage of time. After checking in, they headed up to their room.

"This is it," Ryan said, ushering Jennifer inside. "Not bad on short notice. Pretty spacious for the price."

"So we're sharing a room?" Jennifer asked.

"Hey, we're lucky we got this. This town's packed during the migration. It took Trace some serious digging to turn up a room that wasn't at a total dive."

"It's not that, it's just that I don't know if you're okay with sharing a room with a girl." She gestured to the room's single queen-sized bed and smiled. "You can have the bed if you want."

"The bathroom has a door," Ryan said mildly. "I think I'll be fine."

 **# # #**

Early the next morning Ryan found himself being pounced upon in bed by Jennifer who wanted to make sure they got off to an appropriately early start. Her buneary eagerly joined in said pouncing until Ryan was forced to wrap each of them up in an arm to restrain them.

"I'm awake, you little monster," Ryan said as the buneary struggled mightily against his grip.

"Mocha's not a monster," Jennifer retorted, her voice partially muffled by Ryan's arm.

"I wasn't talking to your pokemon," Ryan replied before releasing them both.

After dressing and heading out for a quick breakfast, they began their day in earnest. The wailmer watch boats were packed but Ryan managed to secure a spot on one of the first trips out nonetheless.

Not long after the boat cleared the bay, they were treated to a spectacular sight of a large pod of wailord and wailmer cruising along the surface of the ocean in loose formation. Jennifer squealed in delight when three of the massive wailord breached high into the air, landing with a trio of massive splashes which drew a round of applause from the spectators. Even Ryan found himself impressed at the sight.

The boat stayed out for most of the morning, during which time several more pods of wailmer and wailord slowly swam by, each putting on their own display as if performing for the assembled crowds. After watching their performances, Ryan suspected that this might actually be the case. His musings on the subject were interrupted as a playful wailmer surfaced near the boat and blew a high, arcing spray of water, forcing Ryan to duck for cover.

After returning to shore, they rode one of the city's famous cable cars up to noibat hill where they ate a lunch whose pace was considerably slowed as Jennifer chattered excitedly about the morning's excursion and her fervent considerations as to where they should go next. After thoroughly and animatedly deliberating on the subject, Jennifer decided they should next visit the underwater walkway.

Following the success of Unova's undersea pedestrian tunnel, Gateway City built its own tunnel across the narrow inlet of the bay. A long descending escalator brought Ryan and Jennifer down to the entrance of the tunnel which consisted of a thick transparent tube, heavily ballasted and anchored to the seafloor.

Soon after entering, Jennifer spied a dewgong swimming far above, pointing excitedly at the distant streak shadowed against the sunlight filtering down from the surface. Farther on, where less and less sunlight reached the depths, a school of finneon appeared from beyond the glow of the artificial lights installed outside the tunnel, flashing a dazzling display of bioluminescence in undulating patterns that shifted and rippled with their collective movements. The underwater light show caused the tunnel spectators to gather in the area which began to cut off Jennifer's view as the school moved slowly off to one side. Seeing Jennifer's distress at her rapidly vanishing view, Ryan hunkered down to allow her to climb up on his shoulders. From this higher vantage, she was able to watch the aquatic pokemon until they finally vanished from view.

Unfortunately for Ryan, Jennifer was unwilling to abandon her perch afterward, pleading to be carried for "just a little while" until at last he decided that it would be easier to acquiesce than argue the point further. And while her weight made her an easy burden, her near-constant stream of directions made him begin to feel like a pack animal as her attention flitted from the staryu on one side to the clamperl on the other to the clauncher darting amongst some rocks, to the luvdisc swimming above.

Finally, the seafloor began to rise toward the surface as they neared the far end of the tunnel. It was then that the movement of a sinuous shape outside the tunnel caught Ryan's eye.

"It's a milotic!" Jennifer softly exclaimed, sliding down off of Ryan's shoulders to get a closer look.

At first, the serpentine pokemon appeared to Ryan's eyes to be white, but as it wound its way closer, he could see that its fine scales were reflecting the sunlight in a shimmering, iridescent panoply of rainbow colors. The milotic slowly drifted closer, stopping directly where Jennifer stood with her hands pressed to the tunnel's clear wall.

The milotic hung nearly motionless in the water with only the long tendrils over its eyes waving slowly with the current as it regarded the small human before it. Jennifer stood similarly rapt and still, such that Ryan wondered if she were holding her breath.

Then the milotic stretched forward, gently bumping its snout against the tunnel under one of Jennifer's outstretched hands. As Jennifer gasped in delight, the milotic swished its colorful, fan-like tail and undulated with swift and singular grace back into the murky depths of the ocean waters.

Energized by their encounters in the underwater tunnel, Jennifer practically dragged Ryan around the bay in search of more wild aquatic pokemon. Along the wharves and docks, many sealeo had taken up residence, including a crotchety walrein that wasn't keen on letting anyone get too near to it. Despite its standoffish demeanor, it seemed quite willing to accept the small fish people would toss its way.

Having, as yet, finding no lapras for which Jennifer was eagerly searching, the pair stopped for an early dinner. On the way, they paused to take pictures at the base of the famously twisty (and infamously crowded) Liepard Street.

Their meal passed quickly, spurred on by Jennifer's desire to return to the search for the one pokemon she most wanted to see. Thereafter, they resumed their trip around the bay, but as the afternoon began to grow late and no sign could be found of their quarry, Jennifer feared that this particular pokemon had already moved on for the year.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, Ryan pulled out his phone and performed a quick search for information on lapras. He then pulled up a map of Gateway City and its environs. After scanning it for a minute, he nodded to himself and returned his phone to his pocket.

"Come on, short shanks," Ryan said, beckoning her toward the street.

"Why, where are we going?" Jennifer asked as Ryan hailed a taxi.

"The bay isn't actually lapras' preferred spot to hang out. It just catches the overflow during the peak of the migration season."

"So you think you know where to find some?" Jennifer, asked, her face brightening.

"Maybe. Only one way to find out for sure, though," Ryan replied, pointing to an approaching taxi.

The ride to the edge of town took longer than Ryan expected and by the time they arrived, the sun was nearly touching the ocean's watery horizon. Ryan led them up the side of a grassy hill and as they crested its ridge, he saw stretching before them a cove notched out of the gently undulating coastline, just as the map had shown.

He squinted his eyes, focusing on the shadow-dappled sands, then pointed to a distant spot of color - a blotch of blue against the brown stretch of sandy shoreline that ringed the cove. Even at a distance, the lapras' long-necked silhouette was unmistakable. With a gasp of excitement, Jennifer took off, pelting down the hill with surprising speed, forcing Ryan to give chase. As she came to within a stone's throw of the lapras, Ryan finally caught up with her, halting her charge with a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Hold up, turbo," Ryan said, turning her around to face him. "You run in like that and you're liable to get hurt. That's a wild pokemon and if you startle him, he might take a chunk out of you. At the very least, you're likely to spook him and make him bolt."

Jennifer looked over her shoulder at the lapras who eyed them warily. "But I just wanted to see him up close," she said plaintively.

Ryan lifted his eyes toward the lapras, opening his psychic senses. Slowly, he began to feel its surface thoughts sliding across the boundary of his own consciousness. Rather than try to follow the unfamiliar flow of its mind, he focused only on its emotional state, which was much easier to pick out and understand. He was relieved at the absence of strong feelings of fear or aggression which would indicate that it felt threatened, though he could sense a tinge of apprehension at their presence.

He turned Jennifer around to face the lapras and knelt down to speak softly into her ear. "Walk forward very slowly and stop about ten feet away. Let him come to you, okay?"

She nodded and advanced gingerly with small steps under the lapras' watchful eyes, stopping short several paces away. At first, the lapras only continued to watch her, tilting its head and craning its long neck to survey the tiny human standing silently before it with its hands clutched together. For a while, the silent standoff continued until finally the lapras lurched forward on its flipper-legs toward Jennifer.

"Stay still," Ryan whispered as Jennifer cast a look over her shoulder toward him.

Jennifer couldn't help but take a small involuntary step backward as the lapras - whose bulk easily dwarfed her - took a final lurching stride toward her and dipped its great, round head toward her. It held back a bit, taking several tentative sniffs from various angles, then drew back slightly in silent scrutiny.

And then, it leaned slowly forward, lowering its head to gaze at Jennifer. She looked up into the large, soft eyes hovering before her and in an instant, all apprehension evaporated from her face, replaced by a look of wonder. She slowly lifted a hand, brushing it softly against the lapras' snout. The lapras in turn, nuzzled into her chest, eliciting a high-pitched giggle from Jennifer.

Under the backdrop of the setting sun hanging low over the ocean, Ryan pondered the scene unfolding before him and the transformative effect each of the two seemed to have upon the other - Jennifer's unrestrained joy in the presence of the large, blue pokemon and the lapras being equally delighted in submitting to Jennifer's affections. Ryan knew that lapras weren't psychic but he couldn't help but feel that something profound had passed between it and Jennifer in the moment that their eyes had met. Thinking about it called to mind his own feelings toward Rika when he first met her as a growlithe and the evening when he sat with his pokemon gathered around him for the first time and let himself actually feel something about them. How surprised he'd been to discover the depth of their feelings for him.

Jennifer's high-pitched voice brought Ryan from his thoughts when a retort of playful lickings from the lapras sent her to the sand with squeals of laughter.

"He really likes me," Jennifer said, still lying on the sand. "I want to take him home."

 _Should've seen that coming,_ Ryan thought to himself. He briefly considered the logistics of a little girl keeping a pokemon like that. Even he didn't know what it would cost to feed him, but if it was anything like what Rika could pack away, Doctor Lynd would probably be less than pleased. "Lapras are aquatic pokemon," Ryan replied delicately. "Where are you going to find a body of water large enough for him to swim in at home?"

"I could let him out when we take a trip to the beach."

"But how often do you go there? A few times a year? You can't just keep him in a poké ball all the time, you know."

She looked up plaintively from where she lay on the sand. "But he really likes me."

"I can see that," Ryan continued, "but do you really think he'd be happy being cooped up all the time and not being able to swim or do anything?"

Jennifer looked back up at the lapras without immediately responding. She stared quietly into its eyes for a while, then finally replied, "I guess not," with obvious reluctance.

"Come on, don't be all sad," Ryan said, kneeling down next to her. "This is what you wanted to see, right? And who knows, maybe you'll see him again."

"You think so?" Jennifer asked, her voice lifting slightly.

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, this might be a regular spot for him. If so, you might find him here next year."

Jennifer propped herself up on her elbows, her eyes now on Ryan. "But how will I know if it's him?"

Ryan got up and walked behind the lapras to peer at its knobby carapace. "It looks like he has some distinctive marks and patterns on his shell," he said as he took a few pictures of them with his phone. "Should make it easy to identify him later, although I think he'll probably remember you anyway. Pokemon are funny like that."

"I hope so," she said, turning her attention fully back to the lapras, scratching him under his chin.

Ryan paused in thought then lifted his phone to take a picture of the pair. After watching them for another minute or so, he put a hand on her shoulder. "It's getting late. We should get going."

She looked over her shoulder at him and nodded, then turned back to the lapras and hugged her arms around its large, round head, not quite able to reach all the way around, and kissed it on the snout. When at last she let go, the lapras gave her a final lick with its broad, smooth tongue and shuffled back to the water's edge.

"Ready to go?" Ryan asked.

As she looked up and nodded, her face beamed with a smile that reflected in her eyes despite the welling of tears gathering there. She cast one final look toward the lapras as it slid back into the waters of the cove, then took hold of Ryan's arm as they both headed back toward the city.

During the taxi ride back to the hotel, Jennifer stretched across Ryan's lap, the day's excitement having finally taken its toll on her. When they arrived, Ryan managed to rouse her enough to walk under her own power, but even so, she leaned heavily into his side as they crossed the lobby and he feared he would have to carry her before they reached their room.

As they waited for the elevator, a distant rumble reverberated from outside, echoing through the lobby.

Jennifer looked up at Ryan with drowsy eyes. "What was that?"

"Dunno," Ryan said. "Fireworks, maybe?"

Just then, all of the lights went out, plunging the lobby into near pitch-darkness. Gasps and murmurs of surprise rippled through the lobby from the startled guests until the emergency lights came on a few seconds later.

"Then again, maybe not," Ryan added. A hollow boom, slightly louder than before, followed shortly after. "What's going on out there?"

Ryan began walking toward the lobby's entrance, but before he could take more than a few steps, the large, plate-glass windows exploded inward in a shower of broken glass as several large shapes came bursting through.

In the dim light, it took Ryan a moment to recognize them as a pair of tauros, but while their sudden appearance made him stop short in astonishment, they continued their wild charge, one overturning a couch with a toss of its horned head while the other gored a hapless guest, sending him flying through the air to crash into a far wall. Behind them, more pokemon poured into lobby - a serperior flanked by a group of toxicroak, croconaw, and more zigzagoon than Ryan could easily count.

Recovering from his initial shock, Ryan quickly sized up the situation as pandemonium spread throughout the lobby. The sound of Jennifer's terrified shriek behind him reminded him that his first priority was to get her to safety. With more pokemon filling the street in front of the hotel, he was hesitant to simply seek cover upstairs, lest they get trapped inside. Best to beat a fighting retreat and see why the hotel was being attacked from a safe distance.

He turned to Jennifer who now clung to his side. "I need you to go hide in the stairwell. Don't go upstairs, though. As soon as I deal with this, we need to leave fast, okay?"

At first, she was reluctant to move, but with a gentle push, she finally allowed herself to be persuaded to leave his side, hurrying toward the stairs.

With his charge out of immediate danger, Ryan detached only three poké balls from his belt, releasing Cutter, Buster and Spike. With all the people fleeing in panic before the rampaging pokemon, there would be too much collateral damage if he tried responding with powerful energy-based attacks from Rika or Trace and Sky wasn't yet trained.

Cutter looked around in alarm at the unfolding panic. _Ryan, what's...?_

"No time to explain," Ryan said, unslinging and unfolding his staff. "We gotta put these pokemon down fast. Spike, take the croconaw. Buster, get that toxicroak. Cutter, you have the tauros. I'll bat cleanup. Everyone, close quarters attacks only, got it?"

Everyone voiced their acknowledgement, Spike emphasizing his by smacking his tiny fists together with a flash of electricity.

"Cutter, stay in mental contact with me so we can coordinate our attacks." Ryan locked his staff open with a snap of his wrist. "Alright, now let's get 'em, guys!"

As each of the three pokemon took off after their designated targets, Ryan felt Cutter's psychic tether slide easily into his own consciousness. Spike was the first to close in on his quarry, a corona of crackling electrical energy surging along the pikachu's body as he launched himself headlong at the nearest croconaw. The impact of his body slamming into the toothy water pokemon was magnified by the bright flash and a loud crack of the electrical discharge. The croconaw tumbled limply backward, coming to rest in a steaming heap against a ruined table in the middle of the room. Spike took a moment to steady himself from the reckless attack, which had apparently taken a toll on himself as well, before rounding on the next croconaw with a flurry of electrically augmented punches.

Meanwhile, Buster made a less reckless approach toward the lone toxicroak who was flailing at an overturned baggage cart that a man had hastily sought refuge behind. Seeing the metalleon approach, the toxicroak turned and spewed a purple-brown glob which splattered against Buster's face and side. With a quick shake, Buster easily dislodged the poisonous goo from his shiny coat - apparently none the worse for it - then leapt at the toxicroak, raking it with his sharp metal claws. The toxicroak drew back, eyeing the crimson furrows now gouged in its dark blue skin before squaring off against the metalleon once again.

The tauros continued their rampage during the melee, sending furniture and people flying with equal ease. Cutter moved in on the closest one who had reached the check-in desk and was quickly reducing it to splinters with its horns. The gallade leapt through the air, landing a jump kick against the tauros' side with a meaty smack. Cutter hopped back as the tauros' horns whistled past in a sweeping counterstrike.

Behind these battles, Ryan moved steadily forward, using his metallic staff to knock away the numerous zigzagoon who relentlessly pursued the few remaining guests who hadn't been able to flee, attacking with a viciousness belying their diminutive size. However, just as he dispatched one of the furious, chittering creatures, a long, green tendril lashed out from the shadows of the dimly lit lobby, whipping him across the shoulder. Ryan drew back with a hiss of pain and saw that the strike had cut through his shirt, drawing blood. He glanced up and saw the serperior glaring imperiously at him from across the lobby, slowly waving a long, thorn-studded vine in the air before it.

While he hadn't been expecting anything like what was happening now, Ryan knew that another confrontation with the Prometheans was inevitable and had thus made certain preparations. It was one of those preparations - in the form of a small glass vial - that he extracted from a pocket as he advanced on the serperior. He dodged another Vine Whip attack as he closed in, then dove forward as the vine swept back in at his head on the backswing. Rolling back to his feet, he threw the vial which shattered against the serperior's head, splashing a thick purple liquid into the grass pokemon's face. The serperior drew back, screeching, thrashing its head back and forth, vainly trying to fling away the poisonous goo that clung to its verdant hide.

A sharp sensation through his psychic link to Cutter made Ryan glance toward his gallade. Cutter stumbled back from a hoof strike delivered by the first tauros who was reared up on its hind legs. But Cutter recovered before the tauros could regain its footing, delivering a combination of punches and kicks that sent it to the floor. The second tauros was close at hand, though, blindsiding Cutter with a powerful charge, driving him into a wall with a bone-jarring impact. As Cutter slumped to the ground, Ryan knew his friend was in serious trouble.

Ryan quickly looked around to see how his other pokemon were faring, hoping that at least one of them was now free. Taking on the raging tauros alone would be reckless, even for him. One hit like the one that felled Cutter would likely shatter every single one of his ribs.

Spike was still doing battle with the second croconaw who appeared to be much more agile than the first. The light ball hanging from Spike's collar flared in sync with each electrically-charged punch that Spike threw at the shifty croconaw who deftly dodged and weaved. Buster seemed to be having trouble with his opponent as well, staggering back from a punishing counterpunch from the toxicroak.

A high-pitched shriek from behind made Ryan turn to see a zigzagoon heading straight toward Jennifer in the stairwell and suddenly realized he made a tactical error in allowing himself to be drawn too far away. There was no way he or his pokemon could reach her before the zigzagoon did.

As Jennifer slipped back farther toward the stairs ahead of her pursuer, a small brown shape - Jennifer's buneary - darted forward from behind her, pummeling the zigzagoon with punches using - of all things - its tufted ears.

With a sigh of relief, Ryan moved to return to his own battle, but seeing the tauros moving back for another charge at Cutter who sat slumped against the wall, Ryan knew Cutter would be in serious trouble without immediate help. He pulled small globe from another pocket and hurled it toward the toxicroak. It didn't actually strike the poisonous pokemon, instead landing nearby and bursting forth with a cloud of thick smoke that enveloped both combatants. "Buster, get out of there and help Cutter!" Ryan called out.

A moment later, the metalleon ran out of the smoke cloud, leaving his distracted opponent behind and arrowed toward the tauros bearing down on Cutter. Buster leapt, curling into a Gyro Ball attack and slammed into the tauros, knocking it sideways. The tauros skidded to a halt and rounded on Buster with a furious, bovine cry. Charging in, its horns scraped against Buster's armored coat in a spray of sparks.

Ryan's distractions, however, had given the serperior enough time to recover and it began advancing on Ryan once again. The eye beneath the purple splotch that remained on its face was now red and bloodshot, giving its imperious gaze a savage aspect. With blinding speed, it whipped its leaf-bladed tail at Ryan, which he was only barely able to parry with his staff.

 _Come on, Cutter,_ Ryan said through his psychic link. _You gotta stay with me!_

But the only thing Ryan could discern through the link was a smothering tide of pain shot through with a streak of desperation.

The serperior's glare bored into Ryan's eyes as it continued lashing at him with its bladed tail, driving him slowly backward. Pain began to shoot through Ryan's arms as he continued to parry its powerful, rapid-fire attacks. He knew that the battle had now turned against him and fear began to creep into his gut.

He stole a glance over his shoulder. Cutter was still down. The toxicroak was emerging from the smoke, ready to fight. The croconaw fighting Spike, while dotted with scorch marks, was still on its feet and managed to counterattack the pikachu with a powerful blast of water from its mouth. And despite Buster's armored exterior, the tauros' superior size and strength were now winning out, its attacks knocking the much smaller metalleon about.

He quickly brought his focus back to his own fight. One slip and the serperior would gut him like a fish. And if he fell, Jennifer would be at the mercy of these insane pokemon. With his defenses failing, Ryan knew his only option was to pour everything he had into a last-ditch counterattack.

With the adrenaline surging through his body, the moment seemed to stretch out, drawing taut until the inevitable point when it would snap. Time enough to feel his strength gather within him as his hands tightened around his weapon. Time enough for one deep breath...

And then, an explosion of light filled the room with a sudden brilliance that briefly stunned humans and pokemon alike. Ryan who had peen poised to strike, stumbled as he turned and saw Cutter suspended in midair, enveloped in a churning nimbus of power. He hung there for a moment surrounded by the shimmering maelstrom, then began slowly drifting down. When his feet finally touched the floor, the halo had subsided to reveal that Cutter had changed.

A long cape flowed down behind him, fluttering gently with some unseen power. His arm blades had also grown into much larger, broader weapons, ruby red in color with wide serrations along their cutting edges.

From across the room, Ryan could _feel_ Cutter's eyes as they met his.

 _Step back, Ryan._

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _Thanks again to my readers. Last chapter pushed this story past 3000 views with a bullet! You guys rock! Thanks especially to those who have left me feedback in reviews and messages. Input from my readers helps me make the story be as good as I can make it._

 _As always, all input is welcome and appreciated._

 _See you next chapter!_


	20. For the Fallen

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 20**

 **For the Fallen**

Before Ryan's mind could register what was happening, Cutter vanished in a twisting of space, reappearing mere inches in front of him. Cutter slashed out with one of his broad blades with such power that it whipped the serperior's head back. Cutter quickly teleported to one side, then the other, delivering a wicked blade strike each time, knocking the grass pokemon around like a rag doll. The serperior hurriedly began to withdraw, but before it could slither more than a few feet away, Cutter lunged forward and delivered a brutal, double-bladed X-Scissor attack. With a gurgling screech, it fell to the floor.

Cutter glanced to the side toward the toxicroak heading toward them. He slashed his red-bladed arms through the air, sending two crescent-shaped arcs of glowing psychic energy flying across the room. The first arc struck the toxicroak squarely in the chest, staggering it. The second, following just behind, caught it low across its legs, toppling it forward.

Cutter's attention then went to Buster, who was doing his best to keep a pile of ruined furniture between himself and the tauros who still pursued him. Cutter flung another psychic blade, this one aimed at the tauros. It connected squarely, leaving a dark scorch mark on its hide, but otherwise seemed to have little effect as the tauros turned toward its attacker with fury in its eyes.

Cutter didn't move as the tauros lowered its head and charged, knocking large chunks of debris aside as if they were nothing but wads of paper as it pelted toward him. Seeing the tauros close in with no sign of stopping, Ryan dived aside to avoid being trampled. Cutter waited a heartbeat longer, then leapt straight toward the charging tauros. As he descended, he drove a fist straight down into the tauros' skull and twisted aside to let it continue past. The tauros' legs buckled under it and it skidded along the floor as its momentum carried it forward. Ryan saw that the beast was already unconscious even as it came rolling to a stop.

A bright, flickering flash accompanied by a high-pitched cry made Ryan turn. Across the room, the last croconaw stood, back arched and mouth gaping wide as Spike clung to its back, both surrounded in a jagged, crackling halo of electricity. As soon as the discharge faded, the croconaw went limp, falling nervelessly to the floor.

Cutter came over to Ryan and helped him to his feet. _You're not seriously injured are you?_

"No, I..." Ryan blinked and stared at Cutter in his new guise. He knew what the transformation was, but how had it happened? The sounds of a car alarm blaring from outside and the smell of smoke drifting in from the street brought his focus to matters of more immediate concern. "We need to get out of here. Go get Jennifer. I'll get the others."

Ryan quickly collected his other pokemon scattered about the room. Spike lay panting and soaking wet on the ground near the croconaw he'd just defeated. Buster limped out from behind a pile of debris to meet him, badly battered and favoring a leg. He returned each to their poké balls in turn, then went over to what was left of the front desk where the receptionist still huddled.

"What's the quickest way out of here that isn't the front door?" Ryan asked, nodding toward the main entrance, beyond which, several darmanitan were pounding an unoccupied car into scrap.

"Through the laundry," the young man replied in a quavering voice, pointing toward a door in the back. "Is it safe to go?"

"It will be when we clear the way. Round up everyone you can find and get them out that way, understand?" Ryan waited until he nodded his acknowledgement, then took off toward the stairwell where Cutter was ushering Jennifer and her buneary forward.

"Take the lead, Cutter," Ryan said. Taking Jennifer by the hand, he guided them toward the door indicated by the receptionist who now began to gather up the other terrified guests.

To Ryan's relief, they ran into no other opposition as they made their way down a hallway and into a large, white room filled with open-topped carts and industrial-sized washing machines. On the far end of the room, he spied a large metal door, above which hung a green "Exit" sign that glowed in the near-dark that was broken only by the wall-mounted emergency floodlamps.

Cutter rushed through the door and outside first, then signaled Ryan to follow. As he and Jennifer emerged into the night air, he could see smoke and distant fires rising into the skyline in various directions and the sound of far-off explosions and he realized that it wasn't the hotel that was under attack.

It was the entire city.

"Cutter, can you get us out of here?" Ryan asked.

Cutter closed his eyes for a moment then shook his head. _It's much too far to make it home in one jump and even the Great Redwood forest is too far for me to make it carrying anyone else._

"What about line-of-sight? Could you at least get us out of the city?"

Cutter looked around and shook his head again. _Between the darkness and the smoke, I can't see anything well enough at that distance. I'm sorry, Ryan._

"It's okay. It just means we're going to have to do this the hard way." He pulled out a poké ball and his arcanine, Rika, appeared in the alleyway before them. He knelt down in front of Jennifer and looked into her tear-streaked face. "Rika's going to carry us away from here. Just hold on tight to her mane and keep your head down, okay?"

Jennifer looked around nervously as the sound of another explosion boomed, this one closer than the others.

"Rika can't carry all our pokemon, so you're going to have to put Mocha back in her poké ball," Ryan said, lifting Jennifer onto Rika's back. "That goes for you, too," Ryan added, looking at Cutter. "Are you still going to be all super-ized if I have to pop you back out?"

 _I don't know_ , Cutter replied, the red flash of Jennifer's buneary cycling back into its poké ball casting him in a lurid glow.

Ryan hopped onto Rika's back behind Jennifer and leaned forward to grab a handful of the arcanine's thick white mane. "Let's hope we don't have to find out." He shook his head with a half-smile. "And here I was thinking there weren't any more surprises left in you." He quickly retrieved Cutter into his own poké ball and then, with a command, Rika launched forward, carrying them swiftly away.

Ryan felt the arcanine's powerful muscles bunch and flex beneath him with each long stride that bore them through the city with astonishing speed. As they made their way on, Ryan could see that the pokemon onslaught had indeed engulfed most of the city. They nearly ran straight into another fight where a pair of graveler were smashing their way through a blockade of police cars, but Rika quickly cut to the side and dashed down another street before one of the graveler could hurl at them the large chunk of asphalt held in its hand.

Since the location of their hotel left them on the northern side of the city, Ryan made for the Gateway Bridge as it would allow them to quickly head south without having to circumnavigate the entire bay. As they neared the northern entrance, however, Ryan pulled Rika up short at the sight of a steelix flanked by two onix wending their way across the bridge, knocking cars off the sides and into the dark waters below.

Ryan's eyes went from the bridge where people fled their vehicles ahead of the rampaging steelix down to Jennifer who lay hunched forward against Rika's neck, her fingers clenched in a death-grip in the arcanine's mane. "Dammit," Ryan said, casting a disheartened glance toward the sprawling shoreline of the bay reaching off into the night. "Looks like we're doing this the _really_ hard way. Come on, Rika. Let's see some of that famous arcanine speed."

Rika turned her head and gave a single bark, then sprang off, heading away from the bridge and along the bay.

Ryan attempted to follow the shoreline, hoping that the beaches would prove less hazardous than the city streets, however he quickly had to abandon that plan as flocks of wingull began to harry them from the shore. Though forced back onto the streets, Rika's speed, agility and surefooted grace carried them swiftly through the besieged city, vaulting burning cars, weaving through piles of fallen debris and sidestepping pitched battles between trainers bringing their own pokemon to bear against their wild counterparts. For a moment, Ryan was tempted to pause to aid some of these trainers but he knew that, tonight, his responsibility lay with the one in front of him.

They rushed on through the city making excellent progress through streets seemingly as endless as the attacks that raged all around them. Finally, having rounded the eastern curve of the bay, Ryan was able to angle south toward their ultimate destination.

The sound of a flutter of wings gave Ryan only enough time to turn as a dark-winged shape crashed into his side, knocking him off Rika's back even as she ran. Ryan tumbled roughly to a stop in the middle of the street and looked up in time to see that the creature that knocked him to the ground was a staraptor.

And it wasn't alone.

As the staraptor winged up to join at least half a dozen more circling above, a pair of gabite farther down the street turned their attention toward him. Fortunately, Rika had stopped with Jennifer still clinging to her back, still within sight but far enough from the other pokemon to not be in immediate danger. Ryan slapped the release butted on Cutter's poké ball while calling out to his porygon, Trace. A beam of light issued from the pocket containing his phone, expanding into a glowing wireframe that quickly filled in to the smooth, red and blue contours of Trace's form, joining Cutter who had materialized a moment before.

Ryan's disappointment that Cutter had reverted to his normal form lasted only an instant as the two gabite charged toward them. "Trace, Ice Beam!" Ryan shouted, pointing at one of the shark-like dragons.

The porygon's aim was true, striking the nearest of the two gabite with a frigid, blue beam. It tumbled to the ground, its lower body encased in a thick rime of frost, causing its companion to trip over it as it fell.

Their respite was short lived, however, with the flock of staraptor above diving in to press their own attack. Ryan had just enough time to scramble to his feet and unlimber his own weapon before the bird pokemon dove in. Cutter, having emerged at the ready, wasted no time engaging the airborne attackers but his furiously flashing arm blades found little purchase against the swift flyers.

At first, Ryan was forced to fall back from the aerial assault of the staraptor whose fast, divebombing attacks were backed with their own considerable body mass. As he backpedaled, Ryan began to see that their attack patterns weren't as haphazard as they at first appeared. Seeing the distance opening between himself and Cutter, he quickly realized that they were coordinating their attacks in such a way as to separate him from the rest of his pokemon.

He couldn't help but smile in grim appreciation of their canniness. Against such cunning creatures, he knew he was going to have to use a more measured approach. After gauging the rhythm of their approach, he stopped swinging his weapon, instead holding it fast as the next staraptor dove in. The bird pokemon nearly impaled itself on the tip of Ryan's staff as he brought it up at the last moment, using his adversary's own momentum against it. The next staraptor zooming in close behind the first twisted out of the way to avoid its ally who had come to a painfully abrupt stop. With a single fluid motion, Ryan brought the other end of his staff down upon its back as it tried to fly past in its aborted dive, driving it down to the pavement.

Having bought himself some breathing room, Ryan cast a quick glance toward Rika who still had Jennifer on her back. Ryan's heart jumped as a single staraptor peeled off from the group and arrowed toward her. His moment of panic was cut short by the bright orange blast that spewed from the arcanine's mouth as she sprayed the air above with fire. The staraptor continued its downward track, its stoop now a freefall, trailing smoke and burning feathers behind it. Rika hopped lightly aside as the avian pokemon smacked into the pavement where she'd been standing a moment before.

Meanwhile, the second gabite was proving to be a more elusive combatant that the first. Hiding behind the fallen form of its companion, it avoided Trace's Ice Beam attacks until finally, it surged forward from behind its makeshift cover, sweeping dirt and loose debris at Trace with its tail. Trace shook his head, momentarily blinded by the dirt in his eyes. He managed to partially clear his vision just in time to see the gabite charging straight toward him.

Trace fired several wild Ice Beams, but with his vision still impaired, they each flew wide of their mark. The gabite closed in, slashing with its clawed arms and carving deep furrows in Trace's side. The porygon's surface flickered and flashed where the claws gouged the skin away, leaving only a bare wireframe spanning the gaps.

Trace floated backward, firing several more Ice Beams in rapid succession. Though the gabite easily evaded the wild shots, they nonetheless forced it back several steps. With his vision still blurred, Trace emitted a trio of thin laser beams from both feet and his forehead. The gabite was briefly surprised by the lights which swept in toward it but did no damage where they touched its body. Its curiosity lasted only a moment before it focused once again upon Trace.

Just as it was about to spring forward to continue its attack, the laser beams converged on the gabite's chest, resolving into a triangular crosshairs. Trace closed his eyes and fired another Ice Beam, this time drilling the gabite with unerring precision dead-center upon the crosshairs. With an ear-splitting screech, the gabite fell heavily to the pavement.

One of the few remaining staraptor wheeled around and dove in with incredible speed straight at Ryan. Whether its attack was fueled by rage at the defeat of its comrades or pure desperation, he couldn't say, but its momentum was such that Ryan knew he'd get hurt if he met the attack head-on. At the last moment, he sidestepped and swung one end of his staff up sideways into the path of the staraptor's head.

His aim was true, the weapon connecting with a bone-jarring crack, but the staraptor had apparently thought to use the same stratagem, its own suddenly outstretched wing buffeting him across his forehead, knocking him backward to fall roughly to the ground.

Ryan lay with his eyes clamped shut, waves of pain and dizziness washing over him. _Breathe. Just breathe,_ he told himself as he fought back the encroaching numbness of unconsciousness that threatened to overtake him. Finally, he was able to force his eyes open and he saw, to his relief, that the staraptor that had felled him lay motionless several paces away. With that, he slowly began to lever himself to his knees.

That's when he saw the flareon standing before him.

Their eyes locked, and in that instant, as its mouth slowly opened, he felt from it something he'd never felt from a pokemon before: Raw, deliberate, unadulterated malice.

He barely had time to throw his arms up in front of his face before the onrushing blast of flame, but even as he did it, he knew it would do little good. In an instant, all thoughts were driven away in a searing wash of heat and pain.

# # #

The last of the staraptor swooped in toward Cutter, who was waiting with a chunk of concrete debris in hand. The force of Cutter's throw combined with the staraptor's own forward momentum combined for a tremendous impact, the concrete chunk shattering against the staraptor's skull. The bird pokemon's trajectory jarred aside enough that Cutter didn't even have to dodge aside as it spiralled to the ground.

His moment of triumph was cut short by the bloodcurdling scream behind him. He whipped around and saw, to his horror, the flareon and its subsiding blast of fire. Though he couldn't see clearly through the flames that clung to the unmoving form that lay curled upon the ground, he knew it was Ryan.

A wild, desperate cry of rage wrung from Cutter's throat at the sight of his fallen friend. From among the library of knowledge imparted to him during his time at NuGen, a single technique leapt to his mind. Its name - Stone Edge - flashed through his mind for the briefest moment as he raised his fists, now glowing with power, and brought them slamming down upon the ground. An instant later, a huge, conical, pavement-tipped spike of earth lanced up underneath the flareon. A shriek of pain tore from the fire pokemon as it was thrust up from the ground. For a moment, it lay poised upon the point of the rocky spire, then it slowly slid down, painting a wide, bloody smear along its steeply sloped side.

Cutter psychically called out to Rika, all thoughts of the flareon now gone from his mind, directing her toward Ryan's still-burning form. The arcanine dashed to his side, settling her body on top of his to smother the flames. As Cutter rushed to join her, a terrible feeling of dread settled within his chest like a stone. The flareon's fire was as hot and bright as anything he'd ever seen even Rika produce. The damage from such an attack would likely be far worse than anything he could heal. Perhaps more than Ryan could survive.

Cutter pushed that thought far down, nudging Rika away before Ryan was smothered along with the flames. As Rika lifted herself off of Ryan's smoldering body, Cutter's breath caught in his throat. He dropped to his knees in a daze at the sight of his friend. He reached out gingerly, then drew back, afraid to touch him.

His flesh was covered not by blackened char, but instead, by a faintly glowing shimmer that enveloped his body.

Cutter leaned in close and saw Ryan's eyes open wide and staring blankly from behind his arms held crossed in front of his face.

 _Ryan, can you hear me?_ Cutter called out softly. When he got no immediate response, he called to him again, louder.

At that, Ryan's eyes blinked and he cried out, scrambling backward from a danger that was no longer there, the shimmer limning his body fading in an instant.

 _It's okay, Ryan,_ Cutter called to him, taking hold of his shoulders. He held Ryan fast until the wildness faded from his eyes. _You're okay._

Ryan blinked then looked down at himself. Ryan's amazement mirrored his own as Ryan saw that the fiery attack had left him unharmed. Well, mostly, anyway. His arms still had nasty burns that would need attention soon, but that could wait until they'd reached somewhere safer.

"But... How?" Ryan stammered.

 _A moment ago, you were lying catatonic on the ground surrounded by some kind of psychic energy field. I don't know exactly how you did it, but it looked like you'd wrapped yourself in what looked like a Light Screen._

Ryan touched his palms to his face, finding the flesh there unburned. "Light Screen? You mean like the kind a pokemon can create?"

 _Well, not exactly,_ Cutter said, _but something very much like it, from what I could tell._ He helped Ryan to his feet then smiled. _It looks like I'm not the only one who has some surprises left in them._

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment, putting his hand to his head.

 _Are you alright?_ Cutter asked, putting a steadying hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Yeah," Ryan said slowly. He looked up at Jennifer, still clinging to Rika's back, who was watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. "I guess we can figure this out later. For now, let's get out of here before any more nasties show up."

After quickly retrieving his pokemon - including Cutter - Ryan mounted up on Rika's back once again and they resumed their flight from the city. With a much more watchful eye, Ryan steered them clear of even more hostile pokemon, though as they made their way through the seemingly endless streets, their numbers seemed to lessen and the destruction appeared less severe. Ryan quickly deduced that they were overtaking the front line of the assault where the wild pokemon hadn't yet wreaked complete havoc. And while the lack of general destruction would likely make for easier going, Ryan nonetheless dreaded the final push should they run into their vanguard. After all, the tip of the spear was usually the most dangerous part.

Ryan suddenly pulled Rika to stop as the intersection ahead was completely blocked, but not by pokemon. Humvees painted in military camo patterns arrayed themselves in a wide blockade, flanked by dozens of men in combat fatigues armed with assault rifles.

Ryan quickly looked for a way around the roadblock but found both directions obstructed. To the left, he saw more military vehicles moving in a long column toward the intersection. To the right, a clump of pokemon marched steadily toward the roadblock.

Four massive aggron walked in the lead of the group of pokemon, their heavy, metallic steps ringing in discordant rhythm against the pavement. Even at that distance, however, Ryan clearly saw three forms among the advancing pokemon that towered above all but the aggron in the van. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the tallest - a quadruped with a shiny, blue metallic coat and a pair of long, tightly spiralling horns that swept back from his head. The pokedex app quickly displayed a picture and a name: Cobalion. Immediately below, a line of text in bold red letters read, " _Warning._ This pokemon is extremely powerful and known to be hostile toward humans. Do not approach, engage in combat or attempt to capture."

The soldiers immediately opened fire upon the group of pokemon, but their gunfire pinged harmlessly off of the armored exterior of the aggron. Even the large machine guns mounted on the humvees did little more than force the aggron to duck their heads.

One of the pokemon in the lead, broad-bodied and red-orange in color, strode out in front of the others. At first, it appeared to Ryan to be a magmar, but as it casually raised one of its cannon-like arms, he realized it was a much more powerful magmortar. With a crackling pop, it fired a nearly white-hot fireball at one of the humvees in the military group.

The vehicle exploded in a massive blast of fire and metal, the concussive blast sending the nearest troops flying. When the fireball subsided, all that remained of the vehicle was a burning shell of twisted metal.

One of the lead vehicles in the approaching column - an armored personnel carrier - reached the intersection amid the ensuing chaos, pulling to a stop between the advancing pokemon and the rest of the human forces. Ryan strained to read the large gold lettering on the APC's side - "SPEAR" - as the carrier's rear ramp opened and the soldiers inside hastily exited.

"Form up and deploy shields!" one of the men from the APC shouted, pointing.

The rest of the soldiers immediately deployed themselves in a defensive line in front of their vehicle. As they took their positions, glowing blue rectangles of energy flared from the devices strapped to their forearms, extending the length and width of their bodies. The men then tightened their ranks so that their shields interlocked into a continuous wall across the intersection.

The magmortar fired again, this time at the troops arrayed before it. The projectile struck the shield wall which bowed in from the impact, but held. The fireball ricocheted off over the bay, exploding over the waters like a miniature sun.

In response to a second order from the commanding officer, three more soldiers rushed forward carrying bulky, shoulder-mounted weapons. The shield wall parted just enough for the men to crouch and fire between them.

Blue, glowing projectiles streaked toward the pokemon, exploding outward into webs of energy just before impact. In an instant, the magmortar and two of the aggron went down, entangled in the glowing webs.

Beyond the cluster of pokemon, Ryan spied the headlights of another approaching column of vehicles, moving to flank them from behind. Above, the heavy thumping of helicopter blades heralded the approach of a pair of military attack helicopters which swung into position overhead, training their searchlights - and their weapons - upon the pokemon below.

From the SPEAR carrier's PA system, a voice blared, " _Hostile pokemon, surrender immediately or we will respond with lethal force._ "

"You think to challenge me with these toys?" Cobalion scoffed. "Terrakion, Virizion, deal with the others." He paused, turning a seething glare at the humans arrayed before him. "I will teach these the price of their arrogance."

"With pleasure," Terrakion rumbled. He turned his great, bull-like body and, lowering his head, charged with astonishing speed toward the column advancing from the rear. He plowed into the first few vehicles with a terrific crash, the impact scarcely even slowing him, pieces of their metal exterior flinging away as they tumbled through the air. Before they could bring their weapons to bear, Terrakion began laying into the rest of the vehicles, rending them with his great, scythe-like horns and scattering their occupants.

The attack helicopters hovering nearby immediately fired a barrage of rockets into Cobalion's group. In the blink of an eye, Virizion sent out a hail of glowing leaves that unerringly struck each rocket in mid-flight, filling the air around them with a stream of thunderous explosions.

When the fireball from the final rocket's explosion faded, Cobalion let out a piercing, howling shriek. Moments later, a pair of skarmory streaked through the sky in a metallic blur, cutting across the two helicopters in a spray of sparks before arrowing away.

Half of the main rotor blades from the first helicopter sheared away, flinging themselves into the side of a nearby building while the tail of the second, neatly severed, simply fell away. Both helicopters tumbled from the air and splashed into the waters of the bay below.

"Pathetic," Cobalion sneered.

"Switch to armor-piercing rounds and fire at will!" shouted the soldier in command.

The streaking glow of tracer rounds and the bright showers of sparks from the gunfire striking Cobalion's steely hide turned the intersection into a deadly fireworks show. Three more glowing projectiles flew toward Cobalion, each bursting out into a web of energy. Cobalion swept his horns in a graceful flourish, slicing apart each of the webs apart in midair. With a terrific boom, the APC's top-mounted cannon fired and Cobalion staggered back a step from the impact of the shell which struck him squarely on the chest.

With a shower of gunfire still raining upon him, a second cannon shell struck him again, driving him back another step. This time, however, his metallic hide seemed to ripple from the impact, the waves building as they spread across the surface of his body, then converging back upon the point of impact. A chunk of metal burst forth from his body where he'd been hit, flying back to strike the APC with such force that it lifted its front end several feet and tore its turret completely off.

Roaring his defiance, Cobalion charged the group, his horns aglow with power. He trampled the front line, scattering them like twigs, then began slashing the vehicles asunder with his horns. Some of the remaining humvees pulled away, heading in Ryan's direction. Whether they were retreating or simply trying to circle around, Ryan couldn't say, but when Virizion began heading toward them in pursuit, Ryan knew he had to flee or risk getting caught up in the battle.

With the majority of the military vehicles engaged in the firefight with Cobalion, an opening now lay to his left. Without further thought, Ryan spurred Rika on, past the terrible melee and finally, out of the city.

# # #

Deep in the Great Redwood forest, the group sat huddled beside the river's edge. With the besieged city left far behind, the cold night air was still and quiet but for the soft chirping of distant cricketot.

Ryan sat with Spike lying face-up in his lap, gently probing the pikachu's ribs with his fingers for broken bones. Despite an occasional low squeak of pain, Ryan was relieved to find none. Nearby, Buster lay curled up on Rika's forepaws, receiving gentle licks upon his injuries from the large arcanine, while Jennifer sat against her warm, furry side, hugging her knees to her chest. Cutter, meanwhile, stood before Ryan with his hands, aglow with healing energy, placed on Ryan's shoulders.

Ryan carefully thumbed away a spot of blood that had leaked from Spike's nose onto his still-damp fur, then pulled what was left of his tattered jacket over the shivering pikachu. He gently rested his hand on Spike's chest and felt tiny fingers close around his pinkie. "You should be looking after the others, not me," Ryan said, looking up at Cutter.

Cutter's eyes maintained their distant focus as he kept his concentration. _Doctor Lynd can look after the others as soon as we make the second teleport, which will happen as soon as I catch my breath from the first one. Besides, you need my healing more than they do right now._

"Don't be melodramatic," Ryan said with a derisive sniff. "They did most of the fighting and their injuries are obviously worse than mine."

Cutter looked into his eyes with a neutral stare, then reached behind Ryan's back underneath his shirt, lightly touching him between his shoulders blades. When Cutter held his hand up before him, Ryan saw that his entire palm was coated in a wet sheen of blood.

"Oh," Ryan said, looking away. "I guess the staraptor got me better than I thought they did."

 _Indeed._ Cutter cleaned his hands in the river before placing them back upon Ryan's shoulders. _Now hold still,_ he said, his mental voice edged with cold sternness. After resuming his healing, Cutter's expression softened. _I'm sorry. I don't mean to be harsh with you._

Ryan could feel the heaviness in Cutter's mind even before he looked up and saw his downcast expression. "What is it?" he asked softly.

 _It seems like I'm always putting you back together. I wish I didn't have to._

"I'm not fond of it either, but that's just what we have to deal with right now. Besides, weren't you the one who was telling me about the price of friendship not too long ago?"

 _I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it._ Cutter lifted his hands from Ryan's shoulder and let out a long breath _. I mean, today was such a good day. I wish we could have more days like that, without all the fighting._

"We will, Cutter. But we're going to have to get through some rough times before then." He glanced over at Jennifer and sighed. "It looks like we're not the only ones having a rough day. I better go talk to her."

 _Do her and yourself a favor and wash the blood off your back before you do._

Ryan set Spike down on the ground near Rika, then went to the river and splashed as much of the icy water on his back as he could stand before sitting down next to Jennifer.

"Hey, shorty," he asked softly, settling against the blessed warmth of Rika's side. "How're you holding up there?"

Jennifer continued to sit silently, staring down at the ground.

"Things got pretty crazy today, huh?" He waited for a response but continued to receive only silence in return. He stared out into the darkness and took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I know what it's like to go through bad stuff. When you're young, that sort of thing sticks with you. It's the kind of thing that can change you." He leaned in close and looked into her eyes. "But it doesn't have to."

Finally, her eyes shifted, looking up into his.

"Despite what you saw, not all pokemon are like that," Ryan said. "Yeah, some have their scary side, but lots of them are really nice, like Cutter or even Mocha there," he said, nodding toward her buneary sitting beside her. "Even the wild ones can be pretty cool too," he added, fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Like this guy."

He held the phone before her, its screen displaying the picture he'd taken of her with the lapras. Despite the effects the harrowing night had upon her, the image of the big aquatic pokemon nosing her affectionately as she scratched one of his curly ear frills brought a smile to her face. He handed her the phone, then his attention shifted as Cutter approached.

 _I'm ready to take us home now._

# # #

Standing on a broad hill, the colorful equine pokemon looked out at the sprawling city before him. Large sections of the metropolis whose many lights had sparkled in the night now lay darkened but for the occasional orange smear of fire. He sighed sadly, then suddenly burst into a fit of coughing as the acrid air, thickly laden with the smell of dust and smoke, filled his lungs. "Why did we have to ruin the whole city?" he asked the tall, stern-faced figure beside him.

"To punish the humans for their crimes, Keldeo," the large one replied without turning his head..

"But Master Cobalion, all these people can't be guilty. Why..."

"Their silence makes them guilty!" Cobalion cut in. "They sit in quiet complicity while the rest of their kind does as they please. Humanity must learn that there are consequences to their actions - and inaction. They will learn that we are not mere chattel to be used and discarded."

"But there has to be a better way than this."

Cobalion's piercing gaze now settled firmly upon Keldeo. "And how many more do you suggest we allow to suffer and die while we cast about for a perfect solution? A hundred? A thousand?"

Keldeo looked away, nervously shuffling a hoof, unable to answer either Cobalion's gaze or his words.

"Not one more, Keldeo. Not one! Not while I have the strength to fight." His ardent words hung heavily in the air, making the silence that followed all the more palpable. Cobalion sighed, then continued in a softer tone. "You must understand, humans have many to speak for them, to fight for them, even to kill for them. But it is we who speak for pokemon who have no voices of their own. It is we who fight for the oppressed, for the enslaved," he leaned in close, looking into Keldeo's eyes. "And for the fallen. Would you deny them their justice, Keldeo?"

Keldeo's eyes slowly lowered in contemplation. All the destruction... It didn't feel right. But then his thoughts strayed back to forest, to the memory of the scores of kadabra clutching their dead offspring and the unbearable grief that the psychic pokemon had been unable to contain.

"No, Master Cobalion. Of course not."

"I know this is difficult for you. You are new to the fight. But you need to understand that this is necessary. Terrakion and Virizion have fought at my side for many years and they understand, as I do, that when we fail to act swiftly and decisively, things only get worse. More suffering. More death. More destruction" Cobalion straightened, his expression grave. "We do what we do because we do what we must."

Keldeo nodded slowly then watched as Master Cobalion left to rejoin Master Terrakion and Lady Virizion. As they began to confer amongst themselves, Keldeo turned his silent gaze back to the city below, watching the numerous plumes of smoke rise into the sky.


	21. Time Moves Forward

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 21**

 **Time Moves Forward**

"SPEAR teams have failed to drive out the Swords and their force of pokemon. Gateway City is now firmly under their control," the red-haired woman said.

"It's about time, Serena. I was beginning to think they weren't going to take the bait." Simon Vanderburg leaned back in his finely upholstered chair, clasping his hands behind his head. "So, has Doctor Talbot finished with the last batch of recruits?"

"Indeed he has," Serena Crane said, smiling. "He was exceptionally pleased with the amputees he was able to get back into full form. With some improvements, of course."

"Good. Those will be our strongest forces yet. After all, the human form can only be improved so far. Replacing missing limbs with all-new pokemon-infused flesh has thus far proven to provide the best results." He turned to the large, blue-scaled man standing nearby. "Isn't that right, Commander Sardis?"

"I'd say so," Sardis said, flexing a large, clawed hand that briefly pulsed with a purplish glow. "So is it time to deploy the Prometheans?"

Vanderburg shook his head. "No, not yet. We'll wait for Cobalion and his rabble to sweep down through Aureus first. Once they're knocking on Angel City's door, then we'll act."

"But what if he stops before then?" the Promethean commander asked. "We'll miss our window of opportunity."

Vanderburg glanced at the large computer monitor on his desk. "Codnor castle. Quite the fortress, once upon a time. That is, until Cobalion found out they were turning pokemon into weapons for their war machine using some of the most brutal methods you can imagine. The description of the breeding pits alone would be shocking even to you, Miss Crane. The Swords reduced it to a smoking ruin in a single night. And I'm sure you remember the final outcome of the Unova witch trials?"

Serena looked over the top of her glasses with a longsuffering expression. "Yes, yes, the Swords of Justice stopped them. I did go to elementary school, you know."

"They stopped them only after pokemon started getting burned at the stake along with the so-called witches and they did it by razing half of the colony to the ground." Vanderburg chuckled softly to himself, then looked toward the Promethean commander. "But to answer your question, Commander Sardis, no, he won't stop. He's like a force of nature, that one, when he's riled. What's more, he understands the calculus of power better than most. He'll keep going until he has the humans of this region on their knees. Then, he'll dictate his terms which they'll be powerless to refuse."

Vanderburg glanced at the computer monitor and the image of a painting of the blackened ruin of the seventeenth century colony of Unova displayed there. "It's hard not to respect someone like that. It'll almost be a shame to exterminate him."

 **# # #**

Azelf zoomed through the trees, finally having spotted his quarry - a tiny pink dot hidden amongst the dead leaves fallen from the branches of a tall oak. He swept in, finding his sister Mesprit huddled against the broad trunk of one of the trees, her tiny arms clasped around her middle.

 _I've been looking for you, Mesprit,_ Azelf said, hovering a few feet away. _Nobody's seen you for days! What's wrong?_

Mesprit looked up, her large eyes reddened from the tears which stained her cheeks. When recognition finally registered on her face, she rushed forward, throwing her arms around Azelf.

 _I don't know what to do!_ she cried as a fresh round of tears burst forth. _I tried and I tried and I tried..._

 _Easy, now, Mesprit,_ Azelf said, patting his sister on the back. _Just slow down and tell me what happened_.

 _It's my fault!_ she wailed. _He wouldn't listen! I'm supposed to be the one who knows how, but I couldn't! All the fire and the screaming, Azelf, and I couldn't make him!_

Azelf sighed. He knew he wasn't going to get anything meaningful out of his sister when she was like this. It was her nature, after all. So he just held her and let her cry into his shoulder until at last, her muffled sobs began to subside.

 _Now, tell me what's wrong_ , Azelf said, brushing away the tears from Mesprit's eyes. _I'm sure this has something to do with Cobalion getting all bent, but I don't see how any of it could be your doing._

Mesprit detached herself from Azelf and floated a few feet away, clutching her hands together. _But it is. I went to go speak with Dialga, just like father wanted. But I couldn't get him to listen. I thought if anyone could talk him out of his funk, it would be me! I'm supposed to be the one who understands feelings and emotions better than anyone, but I..._ Mesprit buried her face in her hands. I _failed, Mesprit, and now there's blood and fire and..._

 _It's going to be okay, Mesprit,_ Azelf said, sensing another impending bout of tears and hoping to head it off. _Let's go talk to Uxie. If anyone can help us figure this out, it's him._

 _Uxie?_ Mesprit looked up, visibly incredulous. _This isn't a problem that can be solved with cold logic, Azelf._

 _You know, sometimes I don't think you give our brother enough credit_ , Azelf said. Y _eah, he's a bit left-brain, but he's good at figuring stuff out. Besides, at this point, what's the harm in asking?_

Mesprit plopped down on the ground and stared down at her tails splayed out in front of her, contemplating his words. Azelf merely waited, glad that his sister was thinking and not just feeling. At length, she looked up and nodded. Azelf smiled and took Mesprit's hand, and a moment later, they both disappeared with _pop_.

They reappeared nearly half a world away on the shores of Lake Acuity where the sun was only just beginning to peek above the eastern horizon. They flew high among the boughs of the evergreens that stood near the edge of the placid waters, arrowing toward a cluster of trees that, to any other observer, appeared wholly unremarkable among the many others that surrounded the lake. Azelf and Mesprit, however, knew these particular trees to be a favorite spot for their brother, Uxie, to sit and ruminate.

They came at last to a tall pine, its upper branches sheltered from casual eyes by dint of its height and the surrounding trees which rose nearly as tall. There, perched upon a spread of branches which offered an unobstructed view of the lake, sat Uxie, his eyes closed and head bowed in contemplation.

After waiting a few moments without receiving any acknowledgement of their presence, Azelf floated forward and waved a tiny hand in front of Uxie's face.

 _Yes, I see you Azelf_ , Uxie replied in a slightly irritated tone, his eyes remaining lidded.

 _Well, I can never tell when you keep your eyes closed all the time_ , Azelf retorted.

 _I see more with my eyes closed than most do with their open._ Uxie tilted his head for a moment. _I presume that you're here to speak to me about the Swords' attack on Aureus?_

 _How did you know?_ Azelf asked.

Uxie shrugged. _A simple deduction given recent events coupled with Mesprit's singularly distraught frame of mind and that twitch you get in your left tail when you're pursuing a particularly interesting problem._

 _My tail does not twitch_ , Azelf replied, gripping the appendage in question.

 _Yes, it does_.

 _No, it..._

 _Your question?_ Uxie cut in.

 _Oh, right._ Azelf let go of his tail and, with a glance toward Mesprit, began recounting his conversation with her.

Once Azelf had finished, Mesprit then added her own account of her repeated attempts to rouse Dialga to action, each one ending in failure.

 _Things have gotten out of control, Uxie_ , Mesprit said, _and I don't know how to get Dialga to fix it._

Uxie pondered for a moment, then said, _I believe you are correct in your initial assessment that Dialga is the best one to correct the situation. After all, we all know how - focused - Cobalion is when he decides to act. Trying to dissuade him would be futile. However, judging from what have told me, I believe your failure stems from the fact that you lack familiarity with the particular emotional components of his current mindset._

 _I lack familiarity?_ Mesprit replied, eyes wide in disbelief. _I'm the Being of Emotion, smarty-pants! I have_ familiarity _, and then some, with every kind of emotion there is!_

Uxie held up a hand. _You misunderstand. You undoubtedly have superior knowledge of emotional states, but there is a qualitative difference between_ knowledge _and_ experience. _You may know what Dialga is going through, but you've never experienced a situation quite like his, and he knows it. I believe this to be the crux of the rift in communication between you and Dialga._

Mesprit floated silently, her mouth gaping in astonishment at Uxie's analysis. _I... I guess never thought of it that way_ , she finally said.

Azelf floated up behind her and gave her a chuck on the back. S _ee, I told you he could help._

 _So what do you think we should do?_ Mesprit finally asked.

 _It should be obvious_ , Uxie said. _We need a third party to intervene - someone who has experience with personal loss, hardship, loneliness and despair, but who also has a strength of personality such as to be able to confront someone as powerful as Dialga._

 _Seems like a pretty tall order_ , Azelf said. _Where are we going to find someone like that?_

 _Actually_ , Uxie said, a slow smile spreading across his face, _I think I know just the person_.

 **# # #**

Ryan sat on the floor of his room, leaning back against the side of his arcanine with several holographic screens floating in the air before him.

"Christina told me all about your trip to Gateway City with Jennifer," came Stacy's voice from one of the screens. "Thank you for keeping her safe."

"No sweat," Ryan said. He glanced over his shoulder where Trace sat on his bed, projecting the multiple screens floating before him. "Couldn't have done it without my guys, though."

"Then they have my thanks as well," Stacy said. She paused, glancing slightly to the left of Ryan, then added, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ryan said, casting a sharp look at Cutter, who knelt at his side, examining his forearms in detail.

 _I'm just checking to see if the burns require any further attention_ , Cutter responded without looking up.

Ryan's arcanine, seeing Cutter examining his arm, swung her head around and began inquisitively sniffing at it herself.

"Well, they don't. And you're starting to get Rika wound up, so cut it out."

"Aw, they're worried about you. That's so sweet," Stacy cooed.

Ryan's attention abruptly shifted down to where Buster, who was previously lying placidly between his outstretched legs, had suddenly wrapped his paws around an ankle and was now fervently gnawing on his heel.

"Seriously?" Ryan exclaimed. He attempted to shake the metalleon loose, but this only served to make the feisty pokemon grip his leg tighter and intensify his efforts, now accompanied with playful growling. Ryan quickly scanned about, his eyes settling on the rubber bone-shaped toy that lay nearby and, thankfully, within reach. He snatched it up and squeezed it, causing it to produce a high-pitch squeaking sound.

Buster's head shot up, following the toy as Ryan waved it in the air above his head, then took off after it when Ryan threw it across the room.

Ryan looked up at Stacy's video image and sighed heavily. "I swear, half the time it's like I have six mothers, the other half it's like I have six children. Well, five, actually," he added as he glanced over at the bagon huddled on its own bedding in the corner, casting surly looks back at him. "Sky still doesn't like me very much."

"Just be patient. Sometimes a pokemon just needs time to come around to its trainer."

"Speaking of pokemon, how are yours doing?"

"Max, Freya and Samson are doing fine," Stacy said. "Dredge is off of the I.V.s now and Rush is on the mend as well."

Ryan felt a tug at his sleeve. He glanced to his side as Cutter leaned in close with anxious eyes.

 _Ask her about Gia_ , Cutter said.

Ryan rolled his eyes, one corner of his mouth curling into the tiniest of smiles. "Cutter wants to know about..."

"...About Gia?" Stacy asked with a grin. "I figured he would. Here, I'm sending you a picture."

A few seconds later, another window appeared in midair showing a photo of Gia reclining on a pokemon center bed. A beaming smile lit up her face, which was now free of the bandages previously wrapping her head. A small but noticeable swell was visible where her skirts flared out from her abdomen, upon which one of her delicate hands rested.

"She's getting a little round in the middle, now that the egg is almost about to come," Stacy remarked, "but once it does, it's going to be a bit before it hatches."

Cutter reached out and took the floating photo in his hands and stared down at it, eyes wide and full of emotion.

"There's something else I wanted to ask you about." Ryan took hold of another floating screen which displayed an image of two crossed spears over a shield and turned it around to face Stacy's screen. "Do you know anything about these guys? They're called SPEAR and I saw them fighting the Swords of Justice during the attack on Gateway City. So far, all I could turn up on them was that they're some kind of specialized military unit."

Stacy nodded. "The name SPEAR is an acronym for Special Pokemon Emergency Action Response. You see, when there are problems involving pokemon, people usually call in a League trainer to deal with it. If it's something a trainer can't handle, they'll call in the Pokemon Rangers. But if the problem is something really bad that even the Rangers can't handle, which almost never happens, that's when they call in SPEAR teams. I'm not surprised you couldn't find much on them. They're a military unit tasked with putting down pokemon threats fast and hard. With pokemon being such an integral part of our society, they don't exactly advertise."

"I guess they've never had to deal with someone like Cobalion before." Ryan shook his head ruefully. "That guy is scary strong. The thing is, it wasn't just the Swords fighting. They had tons of other pokemon fighting with them. Three guesses what's got 'em all bent?"

"Xenon," Stacy said without hesitation.

"Yeah. Xenon," Ryan said, his face hardening. "Something needs to be done about these guys before even more pokemon start losing their shit."

"You know I'm in."

"I know," Ryan said, "but just hold off for a bit and let your pokemon get better first. In the meantime, I'm going to work a few angles and see what I can do."

"Just promise me you won't run off by yourself, okay?"

"I won't. Besides, this is way bigger than a one man job now, anyway. I'll catch ya later, okay?"

Stacy smiled and waved. "Okay. Be safe, Ryan."

The video image winked out and Ryan turned to Cutter who still held the image of Gia in his hands.

"When we get a chance, maybe we can drop by the Pokemon Center and pay Gia a visit. I'm sure she'd like to see you." He gave Cutter a clap on the shoulder. "Now why don't you go downstairs and have one of those muffins that Doctor Lynd has been drowning me in? I have one more call to make."

Cutter looked up with a smile and nodded. The photo dissolved into a scattering of light as he released it, then he turned and left the room.

 **# # #**

Ryan watched the car drive up the long driveway leading to the clinic and park out front. He waved at the man who stepped out with the familiar mop of sandy hair.

"Thanks for coming Gerard," Ryan said.

" _Bon jour_ , Ryan," Gerard replied with a smile as he approached. His braixen, Fleur, hopped out of the car and followed close behind. "It is good to see you again. You are doing well, no?"

"I'm doing alright. Better than the poor bastards in Gateway City, anyway. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Not about the attack, really, but something that happened during the fighting."

"Ah, yes," Gerard said nodding, "you said on the phone that something had happened between yourself and Cutter that caused him to change."

An excited barking caused the two to turn toward Buster who came running straight toward them. He skidded to a stop near Fleur and let out a single bark, his bushy tail swishing furiously. The braixen smiled and touched a finger to the tip of Buster's nose.

"Why don't you go play, Fleur?" Gerard said, gesturing toward the lawn where the rest of Ryan's pokemon were enjoying the midday sun. "Ryan and I have some things to discuss."

Fleur nodded and headed off toward the grass with Buster following close beside her.

Gerard chuckled and turned back to Ryan. "Now where were we?"

"I was telling you about the fact that Cutter mega evolved during the fighting in Gateway City, only neither of us have a Mega Stone or Key Stone. How is that possible?"

"No stones, you say?" Gerard tapped a finger to his mouth. "This is very interesting. Please, tell me everything that happened before and during the fight. Leave out no detail."

Ryan and Gerard began walking slowly about the clinic together as Ryan recounted the events of that day, culminating in the fight in the hotel lobby.

"I see," Gerard said after listening carefully to Ryan's account. "I'd like you to tell me more about this psychic link you mentioned."

"Well, it's pretty much how it sounds. It's a way for me and Cutter to be able to communicate psychically with each other without having to concentrate our attention on it. The first time we did it was during the final match of the pro-am."

"Ah, yes. That was the match where Cutter had his miraculous comeback, wasn't it?"

Ryan stopped and turned to Gerard. "Do you think the two events are related somehow?"

"It's very possible," Gerard said, nodding. "In both cases, you and Cutter were closely connected to one another and under considerable stress. Do you know how mega evolution works?"

"It happens when a trainer has a Key Stone and their pokemon has the right kind of Mega Stone, right?"

"This is true, but there is a great deal more to it than that. You see, the stones do not hold any power in themselves. Rather, they serve as a conduit that facilitates the connection between a pokemon and its trainer."

"Connection, huh?" Ryan said with a wry smile. "You know, as a pokemon researcher, I'd have thought you'd be more into science than sentiment."

"The bond between a pokemon and its chosen trainer is a very real thing," Gerard said with an expression of complete sincerity, "and there are deeper aspects to that bond than most people realize. It's one of the mysteries of pokemon that we as researchers study."

Ryan glanced away, pondering Gerard's words. While he couldn't deny that he felt a growing attachment to his pokemon, sometimes he couldn't help but feel that there was something else, an ineffable depth that he couldn't quite put his finger on, especially regarding Cutter. At first, he thought it was something that came from the heat of battle, an emotional connection that arose from sharing mortal peril. Now that he thought about, though, he wasn't so sure.

"So what do you mean 'a pokemon and its chosen trainer'?" Ryan asked. "Don't you have that backwards?"

"Not all pokemon are with a trainer because they were caught, you know. When I found Fleur, she took an immediate liking to me. In fact, when I left the field where I found her, she quickly made it clear that she would not allow herself to be parted from me. You see, sometimes," he added, with a nod and smile, "the pokemon catches its trainer."

Ryan was about to offer a retort, but then his eyes fell upon his metalleon playing alongside Gerard's braixen on the grass. His thoughts returned to the night when Buster hatched, and how from the first, Buster had formed an immediate attachment to him.

"And sometimes, the opposite is true and a pokemon will reject its trainer." Gerard said, quickly adding, "Though this does not happen often, of course. Pokemon are usually quite accepting, even when perhaps they should not be."

Ryan had never heard of such a thing before. After all, pokemon were always portrayed as stalwart companions who stuck by their partners through thick and thin. Then again, he knew that Orion had always resisted any trainer's attempts to catch him.

And then there was Sky.

His eyes drifted toward the young bagon standing well away from the others near the trees, just within the field of Rika's watchful gaze. Could this be the reason behind Sky's stubborn resistance to his efforts to train him?

"But to return to the matter at hand," Gerard said, drawing Ryan from his thoughts, "I suspect that Cutter's ability to mega evolve without stones may be due to your own psychic ability. Because of this, you are able to form a direct connection with him without need of an external aid."

"But there are lots of psychic pokemon out there," Ryan said. "If a psychic link was enough, why can't anyone with a psychic pokemon do it?"

"It is true that there are many psychic pokemon, but there are very few psychic trainers." Gerard smiled and glanced skyward. "So many mysteries these peculiar creatures have. If you are willing, I would be very interested in studying this phenomenon. At your convenience, of course."

 **# # #**

Ryan sat at the base of one of the many bare-branched trees near the clinic, far enough to be out of sight of the building but near enough that he could hear the far-off sounds of his and Gerard's pokemon playing in the distance. The absence of bird pokemon from the bare trees added to the bleakness of the landscape and the stillness of the air which seemed to stand out all the more in stark relief against the distant sounds.

He'd excused himself from Gerard's company while pokemon researcher had gone to confer with Doctor Lynd. Now, he sat alone with his thoughts.

A small yellow shape walking among the dead leaves carpeting the ground caught his eye, and as he turned, he saw that it was Spike ambling toward him. The pikachu seemed to take no notice of Ryan, focusing instead on the MP3 player carried in his hands as he sat down against a nearby tree. He adjusted the earphones in his long, black-tipped ears and closed his eyes, lightly nodding in time with whatever music he was listening to.

Ryan half-smiled and leaned back against the rough-barked trunk of the tree he sat beneath, his mind quickly returning to the revelations of recent events: The Swords of Justice attacking Aureus. Pokemon connections and rejections. His own expanding psychic abilities.

But the one thing that occupied his thoughts more than anything else was the flareon that attacked him and what he saw, what he felt when their eyes met.

Anger. Malice. Hatred.

And it wasn't just that one pokemon, either. He'd felt it emanating from all of the pokemon attacking Gateway City.

A wild pokemon that attacked humans typically did so because it felt threatened, or was defending its territory or was just plain hungry. But this was different.

He'd only recently come to have any real regard for pokemon, and even that generally only extended to those belonging to himself and his friends. Even so, he thought there was something strangely disturbing about the idea of a pokemon that actually hated you. It felt wrong in a way he couldn't describe. Almost unnatural.

Just then, he felt something against his leg and he looked down to see Spike climbing into his lap. The pikachu glanced up at him, then turned his head to press his nose under the palm of Ryan's hand before leaning back against him, focusing on his MP3 player once again.

Ryan smiled, grateful for the distraction. He wrapped one hand around Spike's middle and slowly ran the fingers of his other hand through the fur sticking up from his head, eliciting a contented murmur from the pikachu.

"How did we wind up in this mess?" Ryan said with a sigh. "And how the hell are we going to get out of it?"

 _Actually, I was hoping to ask you about that very thing_ , Ryan heard in his mind.

Ryan blinked in surprise and looked down at Spike.

 _No, up here, silly_ , the bright voice called.

Ryan looked up and saw a trio of small floating pokemon, each similar in form, differing mainly in the color of their heads. After his previous experience with Uxie, he knew these others to be his siblings, Mesprit and Azelf. Mesprit waved and smiled with a, _Hiya!_

Ryan turned toward Uxie, about to inquire about their sudden presence, but then suddenly threw his arms in front of his face and looked away.

"Dammit, Uxie, what the hell?!" Ryan exclaimed.

Spike, jostled from his seat, hopped to the ground and began chattering angrily at the trio.

Mesprit frowned, her eyes flitting from the cowering Ryan and his now-aggravated pikachu to Uxie, who was staring open-eyed at Ryan. Recognition quickly dawned on her face. _Oh, please don't tell me you're still shopping that nonsense around_ , she said, shooting Uxie an annoyed look. To Ryan, she said, _It's okay. He can't wipe your brain just by looking at you._

"Are you sure?" Ryan said, lowering his arms, but still not looking directly at any of them.

 _I assure you that you are in no danger from me_ , Uxie said mildly.

Slowly, Ryan looked up at the trio and, to his relief, felt no adverse effects. He laid a reassuring hand on Spike, still bristling at the trio beside him. "Then why does everyone say that meeting your eyes causes you to lose your memory?"

 _Yeah, Uxie_ , Mesprit said, arms crossed and glaring, _why_ do _they say that?_

Uxie glanced at his sister and waved a dismissive hand. _It's merely a deterrent. All I had to do was make a few obvious appearances among small groups of people, stun them, move them to a different location, dirty them up a little and suppress a bit of their short term memory. They snap out of it having lost about half an hour of memory with the last thing they remember being seeing my eyes beginning to open. Their assumptions do the rest, with the story growing with each retelling._

"Wait, so the whole thing about your eyes is bullshit?"

 _It's a misconception I have deliberately cultivated, yes, but as a result, I almost never need to resort to violence when dealing with humans. It keeps things quite civil, which is as I like it. I actually can alter a person's short-term memory easily enough. Tinkering with long-term memory is much more difficult, though and usually not worth the effort. Honestly, though, I'm surprised no one has puzzled the ruse out. After all, if merely meeting my gaze erased your mind, then how would anyone know? The victims wouldn't remember how it happened._

Ryan shook his head but couldn't help but smile at the simple deviousness - and effectiveness - of the scheme.

Uxie bowed his head slightly. _But I do apologize for upsetting you. I was merely taking the measure of your psychic development. I must say, your facility with telekinetics is quite impressive._

"But my telepathic ability sucks," Ryan said with a rueful chuckle, "which is ironic because my mother was awesome at it."

Uxie smiled. _Don't be discouraged by that. Psychic ability is very personal. Your mother's abilities aren't necessarily yours. Besides, psychic talents take time and practice to develop. Just be patient and let your own abilities be what they are._

Ryan nodded, then glanced at the other members of the trio. "So, why are all of you here, anyway?"

 _As I said_ , Mesprit said, floating down to eye level, _we're here to talk to you about Cobalion and the other problems in Aureus._

Azelf landed on the ground in front of Spike. _Do you mind if we borrow your human for a bit?_

 **# # #**

Ryan stared up in wonder at the multicolored points of light studding the dark vault of the sky in this strange realm. Then his eyes slowly drifted down to the massive tower rising up from the horizon ringed by vast fields of green. Though far distant, its grim spire pierced high into the sky. Even the air around him felt unusual - noticeably cool and still with a not-quite-stagnant whiff that somehow managed to make the wide-open space feel close and heavy.

"Couldn't you have brought us in a little closer?" Ryan asked Mesprit. By the agreement of her siblings, she was the only one who accompanied Ryan into Dialga's realm.

 _Oh, certainly,_ Mesprit replied, _but I don't think it would've been wise to pop in too close to Dialga's home with an uninvited guest. Besides, this will give us some time to talk if there's anything else you need to go over with me._

"Nah, I think you've already explained it pretty well." Ryan looked up, shaking his head as Mesprit's retelling of Savi's tragic tale flashed through his mind. "Damn. How many times did he watch her die?"

 _Too many_ , she said quietly.

Ryan stuffed his hands into his pockets, his brow furrowing. Being here in this realm, the gravity of who he was about to speak with was starting to settle upon him.

 _Don't worry. You'll do fine_ , Mesprit said, patting him on the shoulder.

They walked on in silence, making their way toward the tower on the horizon. After a while, Mesprit landed on Ryan's shoulder, resting one hand lightly on his head. Though she didn't speak further, her mere presence seemed to quiet his nerves and ease his mind.

At length, they arrived at the outer rings of the gardens. As they made their way inward, rows of simple shrubs and trees gave way to flower beds and then berry bushes.

"Whoa, this is some serious greenery," Ryan said, examining a particularly large rabuta berry. "I never would've thought the Guardian of Time would be into gardening. There must be every kind of berry in the world here."

 _All except for one_ , Mesprit said. _You won't find a single shuca here_.

"Oh." Ryan glanced at Mesprit with a somber expression. "Those were her favorite, right?"

Mesprit nodded, her face equally grave.

"Why have you returned, Mesprit?" a voice boomed from behind them.

Ryan spun around and saw, towering above them, the massive form of the time's guardian himself. The lights twinkling above reflected off of the angular metallic plates girding his body in a harsh array of color while the tracery that followed the lines of his form glowed with an electric blue luminance, starkly contrasting the midnight hue of his body.

Ryan felt a light tap on the back of his head from one of Mesprit's tails. He took it that this was his cue and drew himself as straight as he could under Dialga's smoldering gaze. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but things are getting really bad in Aureus. First we had a bunch of people doing weird experiments on pokemon to give themselves pokemon powers and now, apparently because of that, the Swords of Justice are laying waste to entire cities. The shit's hitting the fan in a really big way and we need your help."

Dialga looked down at Ryan in silence for a time, as if considering whether or not to even bother answering him. Finally, he spoke. "Yes, I am aware of it and no, I have no interest in getting involved." He turned to Mesprit with a baleful glare. "I thought I made myself clear on that point."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Apparently, you've stashed yourself away here for a really long time. I also heard about why."

Dialga rounded on Mesprit, his eyes flaring with anger. "You told him? You had no right to do that!"

"She told me because she gives a shit about you." Ryan said, hoping to divert the tone of the conversation to a less adversarial one. "Two hundred-plus years is a long time to be out of commission, you know."

"You speak of things beyond your understanding, human."

"Actually, I understand better than you think," Ryan said, sensing an opening. "Yeah, you lost a friend. I lost my whole family. All of them, except for the one piece of shit who hated me the most. Then even he got taken out of the picture, which didn't help much because everyone else who came after treated me almost as badly. You think you've had it bad? My entire life has been one long shit show."

"Then you were fortunate that your loss occurred at such a young age," Dialga replied. "You never knew what you had lost."

Ryan shrugged. "That's sort of true. Or, at least, it used to be. You see, I recently came into the company of some very interesting pokemon. I didn't want to at first. Had no use for that kind of attachment. I thought it was stupid and sappy. Made you weak." Ryan looked off into the distance, scratching the back of his head. "But dammit if they don't have of way of growing on you. Having them around made me realize what I'd been doing without for all these years. I still don't completely get it. Maybe there really is something to this whole pokemon-and-human-connection thing. All I know is when I look back, it feels cold and shitty in a way I can't even begin to describe. So, yeah, I understand what loss is."

Dialga slowly shook his head. "You are but a child who thinks his momentary troubles can compare to those of one who has the weight of centuries upon his shoulders. Consider that before you think yourself wise enough to chastise the way I bear my burdens."

Ryan flashed an annoyed look at Dialga before turning half away. "Whatever. Look, it's your life and if you want to spend the rest of it being miserable, then be my guest. But if you really cared as much for this Savi girl as you say, then you need to get back to work and help set things right."

"How dare you!" Dialga hissed. "You think to goad me into action by simply invoking her name? I will not stand here and let you insult her memory so."

"Really?" Ryan spun around, looking directly up into Dialga's eyes. "Did you ever stop and think for one moment why it was that Savi liked you so much? I mean, I know how hard it is to step out of your own head, especially when you're not used to having others care about you, but did it ever cross your mind to think about how she saw things? Because maybe she saw something special about you, that you were someone with real power who actually cared about people and tried to make the world a better place and not just look after their own interests like most people with power would."

Ryan flung his arms wide, pressing on before Dialga could respond. "Now, look at you. Do you think she'd want to see you cloistered away with your head stuck in the sand? Do you think this is the Dialga she'd want to see? Because I seriously doubt it. So don't get mad at me, because I'm not the one insulting her memory. You are! You say your relationship with her was important to you? Then get up off your dead ass and prove it!"

Dialga's face twisted into a mask of bitter fury as he threw his head back, howling in outrage. Ryan stepped back involuntarily as the massive jewel in Dialga's chest suddenly flared with blinding brilliance. Ryan knew he was taking a risk when he decided to take the approach he had. It was a fine line to walk.

Apparently he'd crossed it.

Ryan only had a moment to contemplate his error before Dialga turned his burning red eyes upon him and loosed a primal roar so powerful that it twisted the very air that it passed through. As it washed over him, he felt as though the world around him and even his very being were being pulled asunder before being plunged into a swirling emptiness that finally consumed his consciousness.

 **# # #**

 _Can you hear me, Ryan?_ came a distant voice, echoing into the darkness of his mind. _Open your eyes_.

Ryan slowly opened his eyes but the searing light of the afternoon sun made him quickly blink them closed. "Am I dead?" Ryan said in a low slur.

The hovering form of Uxie over his face blocked out the sun's brightness, allowing him to open his eyes once again. Uxie's tails pressed gently against his temples, the smooth jewel on each one pleasantly cool against his skin. A moment later, he felt a gentle warmth wash through his head and the clinging dizziness begin to fade.

 _How do you feel now?_ Uxie asked.

"Better. Thanks." Ryan slowly pushed himself upright and looked around. Nearby, he saw Mesprit sitting on the ground, a bit worse for wear herself, with Azelf standing before her, holding both of her hands as the jewel in his forehead softly glowed.

Mesprit blinked a few times, then hovered slowly off the ground and turned toward Ryan. _Boy, you really pissed him off but good!_ she exclaimed.

"Not the result I was going for," Ryan replied. "Now what?"

Azelf floated forward. _Well, if he won't help us, then we'll just have to do things ourselves. Maybe we..._

The sudden appearance of a portal swirling into existence among them cut Azelf's words short. A moment later, a large, hulking form strode out from the wavering aperture.

It was Dialga.

As one, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf flew forward, interposing themselves between Dialga and Ryan.

 _Listen here, you big jerk!_ Mesprit yelled, thrusting a tiny finger at Dialga's towering form. _I don't know what you're planning, but you're not going to lay a finger on this human. You may be able to toss me around when I'm by myself, but you know damn well that you can't take the three of us together._

Ryan could tell that Mesprit's words weren't merely bluster. He felt a psychic pressure building among the trio that, even though he could sense that it was being directed away from him, still felt immense. He could only imagine what it would feel like to stand in front of such power.

"Be at ease, Mesprit," Dialga said, slightly bowing his head. "I have not come to quarrel."

 _Then why are you here?_ Azelf asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I have decided to help you."

Mesprit blinked in disbelief. _You... you have?_

"Yes."

 _But just a minute ago you tried to kill us!_

"If I was trying to kill you, you wouldn't..." Dialga's words trailed off under the collective withering glares of the triplets. He glanced away uncomfortably for a moment and cleared his throat before continuing in a more subdued tone. "Yes, well, as you said, I was indeed quite angry. I have difficulty remembering the last time anyone had managed to provoke me so. Thus, I spent the better part of a week considering the situation."

Dialga paused, looking up into the sky. "The sheer absurdity and offensiveness of your words clung to my thoughts and would not let go until I puzzled out what ridiculous notion had possessed you to say them." He let out a long, slow sigh and his brow pulled low over his eyes. "It had been so long since I'd truly thought on her. But the more I considered, the more elusive became the flaw in your thinking that I sought. Finally, I realized that the reason I could not easily banish your words from my mind was because you were right.

"Savi," his mouth worked reluctantly around the name, "had spent untold hours plying me for stories of the things I had done, the wrongs I had righted, the crises averted. These were the tales she was most fond of. As such, I do not believe she would wish me now to be idle in this time of trouble. And so, I have decided that the best way to honor her is by setting this situation right."

"If you're saying you've spent a week thinking on this, I take it that means you've traveled back through time to talk to us now?" Ryan asked. "So does that mean there are two of you in this time?"

"Yes. And one of them currently wishes to harm you - elaborately - so I suggest all of you keep away from my realm for a while."

"Right," Ryan said, suppressing the urge to fidget nervously. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I will start by freeing Palkia. Or, more accurately, prevent him from being captured in the first place. You know where he was captured, correct, Azelf?"

 _Yeah, but he seemed pretty intent on getting his jewel fragment back and you two aren't exactly the best of friends,_ Azelf replied. _You think you'll be able to change his mind?_

Dialga nodded. "Palkia and I have our differences but he knows better than to question my word when it comes to the future." He turned to Ryan and "Though you shall not remember it after I change this timeline, you nevertheless have my apologies for the rough treatment you have received from me. If anything, I suppose I should thank you."

 _Yes_ , Mesprit said pointedly, _you should._

It was then that a thought occurred to Ryan that sent a chill through the pit of his stomach. If Palkia had been captured a couple of months ago and Dialga changed that event, then that meant everything that happened since then could change as well. His psychic abilities, his reunion with Rika and meeting Orion - all these things could change or even not happen at all.

"You look troubled," Dialga said, looking down at him.

 _Some rather significant events have occurred for him in the time between Palkia's capture and now,_ Uxie said. _I was present for one of them. He is justifiably concerned about the impact your temporal incursion will have upon him._

"It's okay," Ryan said slowly. "I understand what's at stake here. If you can put an end to this madness, then this is a price I'm willing to pay."

Dialga nodded. "Indeed, there will be changes. That is the point, after all."

Mesprit shot a dagger-eyed glare at Dialga. He regarded her mildly, seemingly unruffled by her sharp stare before continuing.

"Though I may be bit out of practice, I am not as artless as you may think. Things _will_ change," he paused to return an annoyed look at Mesprit, "but I will see to it that you do not suffer the loss of anything important."

 _Damn right you will_ , Mesprit muttered.

 _Enough, Mesprit_ , Uxie said, casting a reproving glance at his sister. _The time for bitterness has passed. Let us now set thought and deed upon the present._

"Indeed," Dialga said. He turned to Azelf. "Come. You were with Palkia before his capture. You know where we need to be."

Azelf floated up to Dialga and perched high upon his head. The jewel in Dialga's chest flared once again and his giant form shimmered and faded away.

"That's it, then," Ryan said heavily, sitting down on the ground. "I'd go back to the clinic, but what's the point, right? I mean, none of this is going to exist in a minute, right?"

 _Don't worry, Ryan_ , Mesprit said. _Azelf is with him. He'll make sure Dialga keeps his promise._

 **# # #**

"So this is the place," Dialga said, surveying the structure before him. "It doesn't look very impressive. My brother must've been truly careless to be ensnared in such a place."

 _I tried to tell him to be careful_ , Azelf said.

"I'm sure," Dialga replied. "Now, I shall take us back and drill some sense into that empty head of his."

Dialga closed his eyes and the jewel in his chest began to glow brightly and both he and Azelf began to shimmer and fade.

Suddenly, Dialga's eyes snapped open and the two quickly resolved back into solidity.

"Something isn't right," Dialga said.

Azelf looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. _What is it?_

"The ones who captured Palkia, you said they had possession of a fragment of one of his jewels, yes?"

 _Yeah. He was pretty upset about it, too. Why?_

 **# # #**

Dialga and Azelf reappeared in the midst of Ryan and the rest, much to the surprise of all.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked. "Are the temporal changes about to take place?"

"There will be no changes," Dialga intoned.

 _What do you mean?_ Uxie asked. _You haven't forgotten your promise already, have you?_

"It's not that," Dialga began. "The ones who captured my brother used his own power to do so, creating a powerful spatial anchor, undoubtedly to prevent him from escaping."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with anything?" Ryan asked.

"Because time isn't as simple a thing as people think it is. Changes in the timeline don't just _happen_ because I alter an event in the past."

"Why wouldn't they? I mean, if someone went back in time and killed my parents, I wouldn't exist now, right?"

"Of course you wouldn't, but that's the result, and the result is irrelevant."

"How is it irrelevant? If you make a change, then things become different. That _is_ the point!"

A long sigh of frustration hissed out between Dialga's teeth. "I'd forgotten the difficulty most humans had in grasping even the most basic concepts of time. Savi never..." Dialga paused as if suddenly conscious of his own words, a shadow seeming to pass across his face.

"Apologies," Dialga continued, his tone much subdued. "I will try to explain in simpler terms. Time is a continuum. It has its own kind of shape and form. When I travel through time and make alterations in an earlier part of the timeline, the resulting changes don't occur instantaneously. They propagate forward through time like ripples on the surface of a pond."

"Okay, I follow what you're saying," Ryan said slowly, "but I'm still not seeing the problem."

"That's because you're focusing on a part and neglecting the whole. You see, time is inextricably linked with space, creating what your kind refers to as the space-time continuum. Temporal changes unavoidably cause spatial changes. Thus, if space is anchored, it won't be able to shift in response to the propagating changes in time."

Ryan mulled over Dialga's words in his mind for a bit. "So, it's kind of like wanting to pull a tablecloth off of a table, but you can't because it's nailed down in the middle."

Dialga nodded. "A crude analogy, but apt."

"But why haven't you run into this problem before? I mean, if Palkia's power can keep space from adjusting to changes in time, wouldn't the same thing happen when he used his spatial powers himself?"

"My brother knows how to use his abilities. When he feels a dramatic shift in the Winds of Time, he knows to let loose his grip on space to prevent... problems."

"Problems?" Ryan felt a twinge of dread creeping up within himself at Dialga's troubled countenance. "So, what exactly would happen if you tried to change events in the past with the spatial anchor in place?"

"One of two things would happen. In the best case, spacetime would dislodge the anchor as the changes propagated to that point - the metaphorical tablecloth pulling the nail free from the table's surface. Unfortunately, spacetime is much more elastic than a tablecloth and the spatial rebound would cause an energetic release centered at the location of the anchor equivalent to several large atomic bombs."

"Atomic bombs?! But that would wipe out..."

"Most of Aureus, yes." Seeing Ryan's horrified expression, he added, "Obviously, this is to be avoided."

"And that's the best case scenario? What could possibly happen that would be worse?"

"What would happen if you pulled hard on the tablecloth and the nail didn't pull free?"

"You'd probably rip it." Ryan paused, then looked up at Dialga. "What would that mean?"

"If the spatial anchor is strong enough, the temporal propagation could cause a rupture in the fabric of spacetime itself. This has only happened once before in the history of this world. Palkia and I working together were able to quickly mend the rupture, but the damage was - catastrophic, nonetheless."

"Define catastrophic."

"The spatial disruption resulted in a mass-extinction event which eradicated the dinosaurs and plunged the earth into an ice age. To this day, spacetime anomalies persist in the area of the rupture. I believe you call this area the Bermuda Triangle."

"So why not just go back and prevent the anchor itself from being put in place? Wouldn't that allow you to change time freely?"

Dialga shook his head. "You still don't understand. The effects of going back and changing even that event would propagate forward through time and run into the anchor when it _did_ exist. I know it's difficult to understand, but this is something that even I cannot change."

Azelf's large eyes angled into a frown. _So wait a minute, are you trying to say you can't ever go back in time again? I find that hard to believe._

"Well, technically, it is possible to go back far enough that any changes will cause the future - our present - to unravel into probabilistic chaos before the temporal wavefront resolves it back into reality. But," he quickly added, seeing Azelf's hopeful expression, "before you ask me to do so, you should know that this is not a viable solution."

"Why the hell not?" Ryan asked. "I mean, it sounds like the perfect solution, if you ask me. You could actually prevent whoever is causing all this trouble from being born." Ryan's expression hardened. "I could think of a particular red-headed scientist I wouldn't mind seeing erased."

Dialga lowered his head to look into Ryan's eyes. "And are you willing to sacrifice your own life to see this done?"

With Dialga's eyes so near and fixed firmly upon him, Ryan's breath briefly caught in his throat. "What do you mean sacrifice my life?"

"In order to ensure a sufficient margin of safety, I'd have to travel back at least twenty years. I'd be more comfortable with about thirty. And yes, I could indeed prevent this entire series of events. But in doing so, the cascade of changes would entirely reshape the future to come, including the circumstances leading to your birth."

"So you're saying that changing the past could mean I'd never be born."

"Not just you, Ryan. The fate of millions, perhaps billions, would be altered. Many who now live would be gone. Your friends. Your pokemon. None would be safe. Would you be willing to sacrifice their lives as well?"

Ryan considered the terrible events of the recent past. So much blood had already been shed and this was likely only the beginning. But the alternative seemed to carry an equally terrible toll.

"No," Ryan finally said looking away, his shoulders sagging slightly.

Dialga nodded slowly and drew himself back up to his full height. "Perhaps now you understand some measure of the burden I bear."

 _So what do we do now?_ Mesprit asked.

"I will first focus on finding a way to retrieve Palkia in some other way. Given the circumstances, I believe it to be unwise to continue to allow him to remain imprisoned. I suggest the three of you keep your eyes open as well, but be careful not to get too close to danger. The last thing we need is to give Xenon more of us for their uses. As for Cobalion, I think you know as well as I that trying to change his mind is pointless once he's been stirred to action."

"What about me?" Ryan asked.

"Do as you see fit," Dialga replied. "I'm sorry I cannot offer you better counsel, but for now it would seem that, for better or worse, we're stuck with things as they are."


	22. Hard Rain

**The Winds of Time**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Hard Rain**

The brightly lit room was abuzz with a quiet hum of activity from the numerous uniformed individuals moving about, attending to their various duties. In the center of the room sat a broad table upon which a holographic map of the Aureus region was projected. Around this table stood three individuals contemplating the details shown therein.

"Satellite intel show the rogue pokemon pushing south from Gateway City at a rapid pace," said the first, a woman in dress uniform studded with a modest field of campaign ribbons. "We've been coordinating with the Pokemon Rangers to establish defensive lines along the borders to the Castoria region to the north and the Argentum region to the east."

"What are our options, Major?" asked the second, an older man with graying hair whose uniform contained a much broader array of ribbons and insignia.

"Ground assaults have thus far proven largely ineffective, Colonel," the woman replied. "SPEAR teams have met with limited success, but as soon as they start making headway, the Swords of Justice show up and drive them back."

"What about air assets?" The colonel asked.

"No-go on that, sir. Choppers get shredded before they can get close enough to do any good and bombing runs have been forbidden in the cities - and that comes directly from the commander-in-chief himself. Too much collateral damage."

The colonel gripped his jaw and scowled. "Doesn't leave us many options."

"We're bringing in additional SPEAR units from Unova," said the third, a younger man in his twenties with dark hair and piercing eyes. The shoulder of his fatigues carried a patch depicting crossed spears over a shield. "Armored units are also being deployed to help along the southern edge of the Great Redwood forest. With those reinforcements, we should be able to hold them there."

"I hope so, Sergeant Gutierrez," the Colonel as he scrutinized the large red swaths covering the northern section of the table map. "If they keep pushing south at this pace, they'll overrun Aureus within the month."

 **# # #**

"Hey, Ryan," a cheerful voice called from an adjacent room. "You haven't washed your hands yet, have you?"

Ryan looked down at the bucket he'd been pushing along by the handle of the mop resting inside, its contents now threatening to slosh over the side due to his abrupt stop. "Not yet, no. Why?"

"I was hoping you could help me with something."

Ryan pushed the mop and bucket into a corner and followed the voice, which he recognized as Christina's, to the next room. There he saw her kneeling next to her rhydon, a small collection of implements and jars sat arrayed at her side.

"What's up?" Ryan asked, looking down at Crash who lay face-down upon the floor.

"Crash's hide needs conditioning," Christina said as she dipped into one of the jars and began rubbing an oil-coated hand across the rhydon's back. "Could you give me a hand? Please?"

Ryan looked down into Christina's blue eyes and sighed, then sat down on the opposite side of the Rhydon.

Christina handed him a jar and smiled. "Thanks, Ryan. Just rub it in really good and be generous with it on the cracks and dry spots."

Ryan glanced toward the rhydon who rolled a large eye toward him. "Sure."

"So, how have you been lately?" Christina asked, continuing her ministrations. "I haven't had a chance to ask what you've been up to since you came back from Gateway City."

"For the most part I've just been putting in work around the clinic," Ryan said, rubbing some oil into a dry patch on Crash's right shoulder with a tentative hand.

"Don't be afraid to put some weight into it," Christina added, pressing her fingers deeply into Crash's back. "He likes that."

Ryan watched Christina for a bit, then began working well-oiled hands into Crash's thick hide. He was mildly surprised at how pliant the large pokemon's musculature felt. When he'd fought Crash, it had felt almost as though he'd been striking a wall of rock. Now, his thumbs easily slid deep into the ridge along a shoulder blade which drew a low rumble from the rhydon as his eyes slowly lidded.

"Actually, there _is_ something else," Ryan said. "I got a visit from Uxie and his siblings."

"Uxie _and_ his siblings?" Christina asked, shooting a wide-eyed look at him. "The whole Lake Trio came to talk to you? I can't believe how lucky you are!"

Ryan shrugged. "I wouldn't call it lucky. They wanted me to talk Dialga down from his funk and..."

"Dialga?! You got to talk to the Guardian of Time too?!"

"Hey, pipe down," Ryan said, craning his head toward the doorway. "I'm not trying to tell the whole world about it. Besides, I don't think you'd want to talk to him. He's kind of a dick."

"He is?" Christina said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, he sort of tried to kill me, so yeah. Although, to be fair," Ryan added, seeing Christina's horrified expression, "he seemed genuinely apologetic about it afterward."

"Oh." Christina propped one of Crash's legs against her chest, taking one of his large feet in her hands and began sanding down a callus on the heel. "Could you get this dry spot here," she said, pointing to Crash's tail.

Ryan nodded and turned his attention to the appendage in question. He was surprised at its considerable mass which reminded him of the fact that, not too long ago, its owner had slammed it into his side. Had he known then just how much power it could generate, he might've thought twice about fighting him.

"So, what did Dialga say?" Christina asked. "I mean, I assume you talked to him about all the stuff that's been going on lately."

"I did."

"And?"

Ryan let out a deep sigh. "He can't help."

"What? But... why not?!" Christina exclaimed.

"The short answer is that if he tried, some weird temporal stuff would happen and the world would explode or something. Please don't ask me to try to explain it. It made my head hurt when I heard it the first time."

"Oh." Christina's face fell and she sat, suddenly quiet, hugging Crash's leg to her chest.

In the heavy silence, the rhydon tilted his head, peering over his shoulder with a worried eye.

"So, how are you doing with that tyrantrum of yours?" Ryan asked, quickly digging his thumbs between Crash's shoulder blades. At once, the large pokemon's eyes lidded once again and he settled back into a contented torpor. "I hope he's not giving you too much trouble."

"Hm? Oh, no," Christina replied. "Things were a little touchy at first, but he's really coming around. In fact, I've gotten him to the point where I don't even have to worry about him eating anyone now."

Ryan blinked in surprise. "That's, um... That's good. I guess."

Christina laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "I'm just kidding. He's really a sweetheart."

Ryan gave her a level look. "A sweetheart? Okay, I'm calling bullshit on that one."

Christina rested her head on the sole of Crash's foot propped up under her chin and idly worked oil into his leg. "Okay, I'll admit, he was a bit of a handful at first, but I really think he's warming up to me."

"Well, better that you have him than Xenon, at any rate."

Christina nodded. "Speaking of which, what's our next move with them? We're not just giving up, are we?"

"Oh, hell no," Ryan replied emphatically, "but we're not going to be able to take a head-on approach with these guys anymore. They're too powerful and well-organized for that. That's why I have Trace looking for some kind of opening or weakness we can exploit."

"Good. I hope he finds something soon."

"By the way," Ryan said, "I haven't seen Jennifer around for a bit. How's she doing?"

"Hyper," Christina replied with a grin. "She's been going on nonstop about all the pokemon she saw on your trip together. She's been sending the pictures of that lapras to _everyone_ , even me, and we live in the same house."

"Really? So she's doing alright, then?"

"Of course she is." She paused to regard him with a slight tilt of her head. "You seem surprised by that."

Ryan half-shrugged. "It was a pretty rough night and she's only seven years old, after all."

"That's true, but there was a lot more to that day than just the rough part. She told me what you said to her at the very end. It made a big impression on her in a way she really needed."

Ryan briefly glanced up, just long enough to see the smile on Christina's face, then resumed working oil into Crash's thick neck without reply.

"She also told me about how you helped fight off the pokemon who attacked you guys." She paused, considering, before she continued. "I know you're tough and strong, but you really should focus on directing your pokemon and let them do the fighting."

"I don't like sending others in to fight while I stand back," Ryan said with a neutral expression. "If they're going to sweat and bleed for me, then I should be willing to do the same for them."

"I get that, Ryan, but you can do more for them by leading them. Pokemon are tough and they can fight well enough on their own, but they work best when they have someone to lead them. A trainer actually helps their pokemon fight better because they can stand back, take in the whole of the battle from a distance and develop a coordinated strategy. A trainer who does that can multiply the effectiveness of their pokemon's attacks and help them avoid getting seriously hurt by managing their defense."

"I suppose."

Christina laid Crash's leg back upon the floor and scooted up to sit on the opposite side of his broad back from Ryan. "Trust me, Ryan. I know what I'm talking about, here. You tend to get yourself in some pretty hairy fights and I don't want anything bad to happen to your pokemon or to you."

"Well, I..." Ryan's eyes darted toward Christina, not quite meeting her gaze. "...I guess I could think about..."

Crash abruptly rolled over and, with a deftness belying his size, snatched the two of them up - one under each arm and pressed them against his sides with a broad grin and high-pitched, raspy cry.

"What the hell?" Ryan exclaimed, trying in vain to wriggle free of Crash's iron grip.

"Oh, he just gets really affectionate when he gets attention," Christina said, then collapsed into giggles at an energetic nuzzling from Crash.

Ryan let out a longsuffering sigh. "At least his front's not all oily."

And then Crash turned and Ryan's vision was suddenly filled with the sight of a broad, pink tongue half the size of his head.

 **# # #**

Ryan stepped out of the bathroom, vigorously rubbing a towel over his head. Though he'd showered and washed his hair - twice - the smell of the rhydon's breath still clung to him. He hoped the lingering scent was just in his mind as he raked his fingers through his hair and scowled.

"Dammit, I don't think my hair is ever going to lay right again."

From behind, he felt something cool and slightly damp brush against his back along the track of his scars. The sound of a low whine followed shortly after.

Speaking of things that were hard to get over...

"It's okay, Rika," Ryan said without turning. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

He felt Rika's nose dip away from his back, replaced by the warm, furry expanse of her forehead. Finally, he turned to face the arcanine, looking into her downcast eyes.

"You still think about the past, don't you?"

The words caused Rika to look up into Ryan's eyes, her melancholy seeping thickly into the edges of his psychic senses.

"I know. Sometimes I can't help thinking about it, too." Ryan leaned in and wrapped one arm around the arcanine's neck, burying the side of his face into her thick mane. "But the past is a heavy burden, big girl. Sooner or later, we're going to have to find a way to put it down."

Rika's head pressed against him as he stood with his arm around her until, at last, he felt her sadness begin to slowly melt away. Ryan closed his eyes, letting her emotions flow into him, felt the swell of her affection, felt it draw around him - a mother taking her child into her arms.

Finally, he drew back, looking into her eyes now lightly rimmed with dampness. He smiled and brushed the wetness away. "No need for that, girl. We're here now. That's what matters."

Rika gave him a gentle lick on the cheek and Ryan smiled, giving her an affectionate scratch. Somehow, having her breath on his face didn't seem to bother him quite so much.

He finished getting dressed and shortly thereafter, Cutter came walking through the door. Ryan couldn't help but grin at the vaguely shell-shocked look on the gallade's face - a very particular expression which indicated that Alexander had puked on him once again. And despite the ribbing he always gave Cutter about it, it somehow never seemed to dampen his enthusiasm toward children. He was about to inquire about the color and texture of Alexander's latest production when his phone rang.

"Hi, Ryan. It's Shin," said the familiar voice on the other end.

"Hey, Shin," Ryan said with a smile, "what's up?"

"First off," Shin began, "I wanted to ask how the training is coming along with that dragon of yours?"

Ryan let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on his bed. "Not well. Sky is proving to be a lot more resistant than I expected."

"Give it time. Sometimes it takes a dragon a while to warm up to a trainer."

"Yeah, and what if he doesn't?"

"That's not the attitude to have as a dragon trainer," Shin replied. "You gotta be confident. Be positive."

"You don't know this dragon. I think he might've already decided to reject me."

"Reject you? You've been talking to Gerard haven't you? Don't worry, he'll come around. You're a good trainer." Shin paused, then added, "That's why I want your help with something important."

"Oh?"

"The League bigwigs have asked me and some of the other pro trainers to help out with this whole Promethean thing. They think they're going to attack one of the League facilities real soon and they want us to help catch them."

"Not to be rude," Ryan began, "but why are you asking me? I mean, it sounds like you have it under control. Besides, if the League wanted me there I'm sure they would've asked."

"Passing you over was a mistake, if you ask me. In fact, I asked them why you weren't invited to the party and all they'd say is that they thought you'd been through enough."

Ryan paused in contemplation. He hadn't thought about his run-ins with Xenon much lately, especially now that things had started to settle down for him and his friends. Now that Shin brought it up, though, the weight of his ordeals seemed to finally begin settling on his mind.

"If you want to pass, that's okay," Shin said, breaking the silence that Ryan suddenly became aware was stretching uncomfortably long. "But I've seen how you handle your pokemon and you have experience with these guys. We could really use you."

Yeah, things were tough, to be sure. The thing was, having people (and pokemon) around who cared about you was supposed to make life easier, or so he'd been told. But oddly enough, becoming closer with his pokemon - and even Doctor Lynd and her family - only seemed to make him feel more uncertain, more confused, more reluctant to face danger. Perhaps it was simply easier to throw yourself into danger when you had nothing to lose.

Even so, there were still debts that Xenon owed, and he wasn't ready to give up on collecting.

"Okay," Ryan said. "Count me in."

"Great. Be at the League's Angel City supply complex tonight. I'll call you back with the details once I get everything else squared away with the others."

 _Are you sure this is a good idea?_ Cutter asked, settling in beside Ryan as he put away his phone. _I thought we weren't going to go at these guys head-on anymore._

"We're not. This is going to be an ambush, and for once, we're the ones doing the ambushing." Ryan's expression hardened. "Besides, after everything that's happened, I'm ready for a little payback on these assholes."

 _I guess I can't argue with that._ Cutter regarded him for a moment, then added, _By the way, I can tell there's something else on your mind. You've seemed distracted all day._

Ryan glanced toward the window with a wry smile. "The joys of psychic pokemon."

 _And reticent humans. So, are you going to tell me about it, or should I just guess?_

He glanced back at Cutter and the expectant expression on the gallade's face drew an involuntary chuckle from him. "Actually, I've come to a decision, one that I've been thinking about for some time."

 _What's that?_

"I'm going to call Kimmie and ask her out on a date."

 _You are? But I thought..._ Cutter paused with a blink, then continued in a more measured tone. _I mean, it's just that you two haven't really spent much time together lately. Are you sure she's right for you?_

"I know it seems sudden, but I always regretted not making my move before she moved back to Johto. And when I saw her after the pro-am, it brought back all the feelings I had for her." Ryan's eyes drifted and a hint of a smile briefly played across his face. "We'd always been friends, but the more I got to know her, the more I wanted it to be more than that. Now that I look back on things, I think maybe she did too. Hopefully, she still does."

 _What if she doesn't?_

Ryan shrugged. "I won't know unless I try. But I do know I'll regret it even more if I don't."

 _I see._ Cutter's brow pulled low in thought. _So, do you think being with her would make you happy?_

"Yeah. I think it would."

Cutter looked up into Ryan's face, considering. Finally, he said, _In that case, I hope she says yes._

Ryan smiled and gave the gallade a light shove on the shoulder. "Thanks, Cutter."

Cutter nodded and his expression began to lighten. _You know, if things go well enough, perhaps you could have children soon._

Ryan's smile dissolved in an expression of surprise. "What?"

 _I'm about to have a child. If you had one too, they could be friends and grow up with each other. Wouldn't that be great?_

"Yeah, well, let's not put the cart before the rapidash, okay?"

Cutter's face brightened. _I could teach my little one to talk to yours while it's growing in Kimmie's belly. Then when it's born, they'd already know each other._

Ryan held up a hand. "Hold on a second, she hasn't even said she'd go out with me, and besides, I'm not trying to get anyone pregnant just yet. I have a lot of things I want to get squared away before I even think about that."

 _I wonder if she'll let me be there when she gives birth._

"Are you even listening to me?"

 _Of course she would_ , Cutter said, wandering toward the door. _After all, I do have experience with this sort of thing..._

 **# # #**

That night, Ryan stood under the eaves of the tall Pokemon League building, one of many in the sprawling, labyrinthine complex, sheltered from the rain falling from the night sky to patter against the ground just a few paces away. Above, the thick rain clouds reflected the city lights shining from below, casting the sky in a pale orange haze. Ryan pulled his jacket close, holding his phone against his ear with his shoulder.

"Everyone else is in position," Shin said from the other end. "How are things at your position?"

"I'm hunkered in and ready," Ryan replied.

"Good. Just be careful. These Prometheans are dangerous, so don't be afraid to pull back and call for backup if things get out of control." An emphasizing bark from Shin's lucario, Katsu, capped off his words.

"Will do." Ryan scratched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "You know, something's been eating at me for a while about these guys."

"Like what?"

"Like why they're bothering to attack the League in the first place. I mean, they've gone to great lengths to keep the whole Promethean thing under wraps. Why risk drawing attention to themselves by moving against the League?"

The sound of the rain - slowly growing heavier - filled in the silent pause before Shin spoke. "I've been wondering about that, myself. It seems likely that they're worried about the League hampering their plans, somehow. For one thing, the League generally helps keep a lid on any problems having to do with pokemon. That's why pokemon-human relations have been so good since the League's inception. It could also be that they're worried about the power the League can bring to bear."

"I don't know. Next to a multinational corporation like Xenon, the League isn't as powerful as you think."

"Not the organization itself, no, but competition-level League trainers have the most powerful pokemon around. Powerful enough to oppose the Prometheans. As it is now, we're spending more time defending against Promethean attacks than figuring out what it is that they're really up to. And after the disaster of the fossil pokemon that broke out of the League research facility and rampaged through Angel City, public opinion and support of the League is drying up."

"If the Prometheans show up, maybe we can finally find out what's really going on."

"Hopefully. Just don't do anything too reckless, okay?"

"Will do."

Ryan slid his phone back into a pocket and stared out into the rainy night. "Now we wait," he said to Cutter, who stood beside him.

They didn't have to wait long.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Cutter nudged Ryan's side and pointed to where three individuals - black-clad and masked - slunk low against a far wall, keeping to the shadows.

"Time to spring the trap," Ryan whispered.

Ryan and Cutter crouched low and sneaked along the buildings, moving to position themselves behind their quarry. Unlike the dark figures, they had thus far managed to remain unseen.

The trio of dark figures stopped near a locked door, apparently trying to gain entry. As Ryan crept closer, he could see that these three wore the distinctive black body armor and balaclavas of the Prometheans.

Ryan decided to make use of the element of surprise while he still had it.

With a sweep of his hands across his belt, Buster, Rika, Trace and Spike materialized from their poké balls in flashes of light that briefly lit up the darkness. Ryan drew his staff, but did not advance on the Prometheans, instead turning to address his pokemon.

"Cutter, Spike, hit the guy in front with a double-double rush," Ryan said, pointing at the nearest Promethean. "Let's see what kinds of tricks these guys have up their sleeves."

As one, the forms of Cutter and Spike began to shift and separate into multiple Double Team images. Cutter's duplicates - a psychic projection - appeared crisp and precise whereas Spike's body flashed and shimmered, splitting into blurred images whose outlines seemed to seethe and flicker, each stretching toward the other.

And then, in the blink of an eye, they surged forward with blinding speed toward the nearest Promethean in a perfectly coordinated Quick Attack.

The three Prometheans spun around at the unexpected sight of the onrushing pokemon. The Promethean on the left threw his arms backward, shooting blasts of water behind him which propelled him forward with a speed equal to Cutter's and Spike's own. He intercepted Spike in mid-charge, deftly reversing the jets of water which simultaneously arrested his own forward momentum and blasted the pikachu with a punishing watery blast. Spike rolled back to his feet and fired back with a blast of electricity, but in the time it took him to recover, his attacker had reached out, drawing the falling rain into a watery curtain before him which diverted the blast harmlessly into the ground. Meanwhile, the lead Promethean stood his ground, meeting Cutter's strike with a swiftly drawn knife that was limned with a pale pink nimbus of energy.

Ryan's expression remained unmoved at the failure of the attacks to connect, for even if they had, they would've done relatively little damage. In truth, they were merely an opening jab to probe the enemy's defenses and ascertain their capabilities, and in that, they had succeeded. One was clearly a water type and the other a psychic, as evidenced by the energy wreathing his blade. Also, the fact that neither had struck an illusory duplicate was likely because the psychic was coordinating their attacks.

With a water type in the fore - likely bolstered by the heavy rain - Ryan kept a restraining hand on Rika. "Buster, get in there and help Spike," Ryan ordered. "Use Crunch attacks."

He watched his metalleon dash into the fray, hoping that Buster would be able to distract the water Promethean enough to allow Spike to land an effective electrical attack. Even as Buster joined in the attack, though, the water Promethean's defense remained flawless. He moved like a dancer whose partner was the rain itself, deftly drawing it into sheets for defense, then pivoting into powerful blasting counterattacks.

And then, there was the third Promethean who had not yet joined in.

To Trace, Ryan said, "Put a Tri-attack into the one in back. I want to see what he does."

The digital pokemon gave a quick chirp of acknowledgement before firing a multicolored beam at the unengaged Promethean. At the last moment, however, his target darted aside, evading the shot with superhuman speed, leaving a crackling trail of electrical arcs where his feet touched the ground. The Promethean dodged the next two shots from Trace with similar ease, finishing with a mocking glance at Ryan with luminous blue eyes.

Ryan's attention shifted to Cutter, whose opponent was steadily gaining the upper hand. He knew that Cutter relied on his psychic sense to give him an edge in combat, but this psychic Promethean was likely able to shield his mind and nullify that advantage. Also, this Promethean was obviously well-trained in the art of hand-to-hand combat.

"Looks like Cutter needs a hand," Ryan said to Rika who stood beside him, rain-damp but ready. "Ring that guy's bell with an Extreme Speed attack."

Rika hunkered down for a moment, a faint glow surrounding her paws, then she exploded forward, her passage all but impossible to follow except for the brief void where the falling rain had been blasted aside. Before the psychic Promethean could finish turning his head toward the orange blur streaking toward him, Rika slammed into him, visibly knocking the wind out of him and staggering him backward several steps.

The attack gave Cutter the reprieve he needed. Taking a moment to regroup, he began advancing with Rika, each moving in to flank the psychic Promethean.

"Whisper, catch!" the water Promethean called out and flung a large globe of water in a high arc toward his compatriot.

"Rika, Cutter, attack him now!" Ryan shouted.

As one, the gallade and arcanine surged forward, but before they could reach their target, the psychic Promethean telekinetically snatched the water globe from the air and flung it with tremendous speed at Rika. The ball of water blasted the arcanine with such force that it instantly turned her forward rush into a slow, backward cartwheeling through the air. Pivoting on his heel, he thrust his hand out, stopping Cutter in his tracks with a telekinetic blast. An instant later, Rika fell to the ground, her large bulk smacking heavily against the wet ground.

The electrical Promethean, seeing Cutter staggered, flung out a hand and hurled a powerful bolt of electricity at the gallade in an effort to finish him off.

Ryan smiled. _His mistake._

The bolt curved in midair, streaking toward Spike instead of its intended target. As it struck the pikachu, his body drew it in without harm, its energy bolstering his own reserves of power. Bright arcs of energy now danced across his fur and his eyes began to glow.

"Drop the sky on him, Spike!" Ryan shouted, pointing at the water Promethean. "Thunder!"

Spike curled his tiny hands into fists, his body crackling with a rapidly building electrical charge. Seeing this, the water Promethean quickly enveloped himself in a thick, spherical shell of water to ward off the impending attack.

And then, with a shrill cry, Spike flung his arms toward the stormy sky above. Ryan had the presence of mind to avert his eyes and clap his hands to his ears just before a bolt of lightning lanced down from the clouds, blasting through the Promethean's protective bubble as though it weren't even there. The loud peal of thunder that followed shook the windows of the surrounding buildings, reverberating in Ryan's chest.

Ryan's vision returned in time to see the Promethean poised rigidly in the middle of a wide circular swath of steam, then slowly pitch over and fall.

Before Ryan could press his advantage, the electrical Promethean held up his hands from which a brilliant flash of light flared. The flash was even brighter than the flare from the lightning bolt, briefly dazzling Cutter, Buster and even Trace.

In the moment of distraction, the psychic Promethean, Whisper, disappeared in a bending of space and reappeared behind Spike. Extending a hand, he telekinetically lifted the pikachu into the air.

With Spike held squirming in midair before him, Whisper casually turned his head toward his electrical teammate. "Blitz, kill the trainer. Then, we can take care of the pokemon."

In response, the Promethean named Blitz whipped a pair of long, thin metallic cables from devices on his forearms and gripped them in his hand, sending electrical arcs flowing along their length. With a fluid motion, he whipped one at Trace, lashing the porygon with a sizzling strike so powerful that it knocked him from the air in a single blow. An instant later, the other electrified lash streaked in high toward Ryan's head.

Ryan quickly dropped his staff, flinging his empty hands outward. The lash struck in a spray of sparks, but left no mark upon its target, instead bouncing off Ryan's hastily erected psychic screen.

The failure of his initial attack did not seem to dissuade the Promethean and he kept up a steady assault. A cry of pain from Spike made Ryan glance over to where the pikachu hung suspended in midair, his body rippling inward from the telekinetic force crushing him. Ryan's first impulse was to rush to Spike's aid, but he also knew that to do so would be a tactical error, as the electrical Promethean's speed would allow him to quickly counter their efforts. With his own psychic defense already beginning to falter under the powerful lashing, he knew they couldn't afford to make a mistake.

 _Cutter,_ Ryan called out mentally, counting on his gallade to be listening, _hit this guy with a Stone Edge while he's focused on me._

Quickly blinking away the last of the blinding flash's effects, Cutter slammed his fists upon the ground. An earthen spire lanced up from the concrete beneath the Promethean attacking Ryan, knocking him off his feet. Cutter immediately ran forward, snatching up two pieces of the concrete rubble that had been flung loose and hurled them, striking the Promethean down before he could rise.

With two opponents down, Ryan focused on the one who remained. Seeing Buster finally shaking off the effects of the blinding flare, he pressed him into action.

"Buster, Pin Missile!"

The metalleon flared his tail into a jagged array and whipped a volley of metallic projectiles at the last Promethean.

Ryan's pikachu fell to the ground as the Promethean drew back with a hiss of pain. The black-clad man's eyes darted from the metal spikes embedded in his shoulder to Ryan and his remaining pokemon. A moment later he disappeared, reappearing next to each of the fallen Prometheans in turn to carry them away. Finally, with his comrades in tow, he teleported away and did not return.

"They're getting stronger," Ryan said with a shake of his head.

 _They still have weaknesses,_ Cutter replied.

Ryan began attending to his fallen pokemon in turn, returning both Rika and Trace to their poké balls. Spike, however, seemed to have fared worse than the others. Ryan gently picked up his pikachu from where he lay curled on the wet pavement, his breathing weak and labored.

"I hope you still have some gas in the tank," Ryan said to Cutter, "because I don't think this can wait for Doctor Lynd."

Cutter nodded and placed a hand on Spike's head, sending a healing glow spreading across the battered pikachu's body.

 _The psychic Promethean's telekinesis was very powerful,_ Cutter said, his eyes lidded in concentration. _Spike has internal injuries. After I'm done, you should still have Doctor Lynd look at him._

Ryan gently gripped one of Spike's forepaws. "You did good, little guy. The way you dropped the hammer on that water slinger was awesome."

Spike looked up, managing a wink and a tiny smile.

Just then, Buster began barking, hopping up and down.

Cutter looked up from his work and his eyes darted toward the far end of the complex. _There's someone else here,_ he said, pointing. _Another Promethean, I think._

"How many more do you see?" Ryan asked.

 _Just one._

Ryan looked down at Spike. The pikachu was still in bad shape but at least now he was breathing normally and didn't look to be in quite as much pain. He quickly pulled out Spike's poké ball and held it over him. "Then I guess this will have to do, for now," he said, his face briefly illuminated in the red glow of the ball's dematerialization cycle. Turning to Cutter and Buster, he said, "No sense in leaving the job half-done after all your guys' hard work."

With that, Ryan took off in pursuit of the lone Promethean, Cutter and Buster in tow.

They did their best to move unseen, but with only one Promethean left, Ryan was more concerned with speed than stealth. After all, with all the fighting, it seemed unlikely that this last one was completely unaware of his presence.

Moving through the clustered buildings, Ryan and his remaining pokemon quickly caught up with the final Promethean who was backing away from one of the buildings. Upon the wall was affixed a box with a small flashing red light. Ryan was no demolitions expert, but even he could tell that this was likely some sort of explosive.

The Promethean spun around at his approach. Despite the body armor and mask, Ryan could see that this one was female. From her belt, she retrieved a small device with an antenna protruding from it top and began quickly fumbling with buttons on its surface. No doubt this was a detonator for the explosives.

"Buster, shoot the thing in her hand!" Ryan said, pointing at the Promethean.

Without missing a beat, the metalleon flung a Pin Missile from his tail which struck the device, knocking it from her hand. The Promethean looked down at the now-mangled remote lying on the ground, then turned toward Ryan.

"Give it up," Ryan called out. "You're outnumbered."

"Don't be so sure," the female Promethean replied.

She reached behind her back and tossed two small objects in front her. Ryan quickly shuffled backward to hopefully stay out of range of whatever kind of gas or explosion might burst forth. Ryan shielded his eyes with an arm as twin flashes issued from the two spheres. A moment later, two pokemon stood before her - a greninja, already crouched low in a ready stance on the left while the unmistakable bulk of a pangoro stood to the right.

A Promethean with pokemon? How could this be?

And then, the spark of recognition brought forth a single explanation that hit him like a punch to the gut. He wanted to dismiss it as an impossibility, but her voice... her pokemon...

"Kimmie?"

The Promethean slowly peeled the balaclava from her head, revealing the face of his longtime friend. "Hello, Ryan," Kimmie replied sadly.

Ryan's staff fell from his hands, clanging to the pavement with a metallic ringing that pierced the staccato susurrus of the falling rain. "You... You're working for them?"

"I was going to tell you, Ryan." She shook her head and pushed back several long, wet strands of her hair that had plastered themselves to her cheek. "But I didn't figure it would be like this."

"But... you? Why?!" he sputtered.

"For equality, Ryan."

Ryan stared silently at his friend for a moment drawn painfully long. "Equality?" He finally managed. "Are you insane?"

Kimmie's expression remained unchanged, as if she'd been expecting that very reply. "People say that pokemon are their partners, but what they have isn't partnership. Pokemon are subjugated by humans who train their pokemon to serve them and fight for them. But people are also subjugated by pokemon as well, by fear of their power. Even with our technology, they could destroy us if they wanted. Look what happened with the fossil pokemon that broke out of that League research facility. And I'm sure I don't have to mention what happened with Gateway City." Kimmie spread her arms wide in an imploring gesture. "You can't have a relationship on such grossly unequal terms, Ryan. It just doesn't work that way. That's what Xenon is trying to correct."

"But those people are evil, Kimmie. They kidnapped me! They did sick, twisted things..."

Kimmie sighed. "Yes, I know. But..."

Ryan's eyes widened in shock. "You _knew_?".

Kimmie held up her hands. "Not until afterward, Ryan, I swear. I never would've let them touch you if I'd known what they were planning. And as soon as I found out, I told Serena that you were off-limits. No one is going to come after you or your friends again."

"But how could you work with such people, knowing what they're capable of?"

"You have to look at the bigger picture, Ryan. I mean, you of all people should understand why I'm a part of this. Remember what you told me about your fight with Crash? You could've let Cutter fight, but you didn't, and it's because you believe what I believe: That pokemon shouldn't be our servants. That we should fight _with_ our pokemon, not have them fight _for_ us. But that can't happen until we're on equal footing."

Ryan shook his head. "But why this? Why attack the League?"

"Because the Pokemon League makes all its money from pokemon - from tournaments and training products. They have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Do you honestly think they'll just sit by and let anyone threaten their cash cow? These people are more of a villain than you think."

"But there have been people who've said what you're saying for years, now. Why do this? Why work for them?"

"Because unlike everyone else, Xenon has the will and the ability to make the changes to back up the sentiment." Kimmie paused, holding up a hand. "I know all of this must be difficult to take in. For now, just go home. We can meet up after I'm done here and we can talk about this, okay?"

Ryan's eyes drifted down to the wet pavement in front of him. "No. You're the one who needs to go home."

The driving rain soaking into Ryan's clothing drove the night's chill straight into him like a knife while the raindrops pounding against the concrete combined with the sudden cessation of words to make a deafening silence.

"I can't do that, Ryan," Kimmie finally said.

Ryan's hands clenched into fists. "And neither can I."

"I didn't want it to be like this, Ryan," Kimmie said sadly. "I really didn't." She turned to her pokemon. "Chop, Vex, the pokemon are yours. Don't hurt them too badly."

Kimmie reached behind her back and withdrew a pair of stubby batons, and with a flick of her wrists, they telescoped out to triple their initial length. As she rushed forward to attack, Ryan extended a hand and his staff flew from the ground into his grip just in time to parry her first strike.

Meanwhile, Kimmie's pokemon had already engaged his own. Her huge pangoro, Chop, steadily advanced on Buster while her greninja, Vex, darted around Cutter with quick, probing attacks.

Ryan had little time to contemplate the situation as Kimmie pressed her attack, swinging her twin batons in a flurry of motion. He quickly backpedalled under her rapid-fire assault, his own defense barely able to fend off the barrage of strikes that came from all angles. Sparks flew where her batons crashed into Ryan's staff, metal clanging on metal.

Ryan knew he was at a disadvantage here. Though his own fighting experience had increased significantly under her recent tutelage, her skill was still the better between them. Also, her weapons gave her the edge in this fight. Even though his staff had better striking range and he could strike with both ends, it was still one weapon. An experienced fighter like her could keep track of both ends by watching just one. Kimmie's paired weapons, on the other hand, were fully independent of one another and each could strike from any angle.

Ryan was only able to spare enough attention to see snippets of the battles between Kimmie's pokemon and his own. Cutter seemed to be handling the greninja's rapid attacks fairly well, sidestepping slashes from blades formed of raw shadow to deliver a punch of his own in return. Buster, however, wasn't faring nearly as well. After sinking his teeth into the pangoro's leg, he received a brutal Low Kick to the midsection in return. Ryan knew they were doing their best, but without him to direct and coordinate them, each was fighting their own battle. But he also knew that if he divided his attention to help them, Kimmie would almost certainly overcome him in short order.

Kimmie swung in high from opposite sides and Ryan dodged backward just in time to see Buster take another kick from Chop, the blow sending him skating along the wet concrete, his metallic body sparking against the ground. The metalleon's momentum abruptly stopped as he smacked against a nearby building, knocking chips from the wall which dusted his now-motionless body.

Meanwhile, Cutter, biding his time, parried another Night Slash to step in close to deliver a series of powerful strikes, finishing with an elbow to Vex's face. The greninja slumped to the ground at Cutter's feet just as Kimmie launched into another attack of her own against Ryan, bringing his attention fully back to his own battle.

As the fight wore on, the advantage swung back in favor of Kimmie. The battle between Chop and Cutter, who now faced only each other, seemed to be going no better - the huge pangoro taking full advantage of his superior reach and strength to land telling blows on the gallade.

Ryan knew that both he and his pokemon were about to lose this fight. If that happened, there's no telling what Kimmie might do. Even if he believed that she didn't want to see him hurt, she still might take him back to Xenon. That was a chance he couldn't afford to take.

Time for a change of tactics.

Ryan fell back several more steps, jockeying for just the right position. Finally, with just enough distance between them and Kimmie surging forward to attack, Ryan made his strike.

He turned and swung low, striking Chop from behind on the back of his knee. Chop cried out in pain, his leg buckling. Such a blow would've crippled a human, perhaps permanently, but the pangoro quickly steadied himself and began to rise once again.

Before Ryan could see any more of the battle between the two pokemon, he felt Kimmie's batons raining mercilessly upon his arms and legs. Before the full weight of the pain of those strikes could even register in his brain, Ryan found himself on the ground, looking up at Kimmie, standing victorious above him.

Ryan could only watch through a haze of pain as Kimmie shook her head once again and swung a baton down at his head.

The sound of the impact rung out through the air.

Ryan blinked through his wavering vision at the hazy image before him. Superimposed before the dark smudge of Kimmie's black garb was a splash of white and green - Cutter standing before him with one arm blade raised in a parrying stance. A moment later, he heard the sound of a metallic object clattering against the ground far to his left.

Kimmie glanced toward the sound, spying the baton that had been knocked from her hand, then looked back down at Ryan once again.

Ryan looked behind him and saw Chop lying face-down on the pavement.

"Impressive, Ryan, and very surprising, from you," Kimmie said. She paused to spare a glance at Cutter who stood poised and ready before her before continuing. "Sacrificing yourself like that to give your pokemon an opening against his opponent, letting someone else win the fight for you... I guess you really have changed, haven't you?"

Ryan spat a blood-tinged glob of spittle upon the ground and glared at her.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," she said, slowly backing away. "I never wanted you to get mixed up in any of this. Please just forget about all of this. I don't want you to get hurt, and the others _will_ hurt you if you keep tangling with them. Besides, there's nothing anyone can do can stop what's coming, anyway."

She slowly spread her hands and a dark shroud of black mist engulfed her, obscuring her from view. Two red beams shot from the enshrouding mist, striking Kimmie's fallen pokemon, turning them into light and drawing them away. Cutter stood vigilant, ready for any attack that might strike from the blackness, but when the mist finally dissipated, Kimmie was nowhere to be seen.

Cutter turned as a light flashed behind him and he saw Ryan standing, clutching his side, with a poké ball in hand, its beam directed at his downed metalleon.

 _Ryan, are you okay?_ Cutter called.

When the dematerialization cycle completed, the night's gloom returned unbroken once again. Ryan put the ball back onto his belt then stared up at the clouds reflecting the orange haze of the city lights below.

 _Ryan?_

Without reply, Ryan turned and shuffled slowly away into the darkness, the sound of his footsteps swallowed up in the rush of the relentless rain.

 **# # #**

 _Gerard's Field Notes_

 **Trainer:** Ryan Meadows

 **Age:** 18

 **Birthplace:** Great Redwood Forest, Aureus.

 **Notes on Trainer's Pokemon**

 **Name:** Cutter

 **Species:** Gallade, male. (Pokedex #475)

 **Stats:** 5' 3", 114.6 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Psychic, Fighting

 **Ability:** Steadfast

Ryan's primary partner. Worked with NuGen to develop resilient Technical Machines. As a result, he knows almost every move, even ones he himself cannot perform. Has a cerebral attitude and a typical "problem-solving male" mindset. Enjoys mental challenges and intellectual pursuits. Is exceptionally resourceful and devoted to his trainer, having organized Ryan's other pokemon to rescue him from Xenon captivity. Can effectively communicate with both humans and pokemon.

 **Name:** Buster

 **Species:** Metalleon, male (Pokedex entry pending)

 **Stats:** 3' 2", 55 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Steel

 **Ability:** Battle Armor

Has shiny grey fur that, when it lays down, hardens into a metallic coat. Its claws are metallic as well. Has dark grey fur with angular, black stripes and crystal-blue eyes. Ryan adopted this pokemon as an eevee after watching it hatch on the night shift at the Arborea Hills Pokemon Veterinary clinic. During an intense battle at a machine shop soon after, it evolved into a steel-type. Further study on this pokemon is ongoing.

 **Name:** Trace

 **Species:** Porygon2 (Pokedex #233)

 **Stats:** 2' 0", 71.6 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Normal

 **Ability:** Download

Ryan acquires this pokemon and uses it for hacking and data retrieval. Originally worked with Cutter at NuGen in the development of the second generation TMs. It likes to stay inside Ryan's cell phone where it amuses itself and organizes his data.

 **Name:** Spike

 **Species:** Pikachu, male. (Pokedex #025)

 **Stats:** 1'4", 13.2 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Electric

 **Ability:** Lightning Rod

Ryan acquired Spike as a pichu during a break-in of a Xenon facility in Angel City. Spike has a mischievous personality and an irrepressible spirit. Likes techno music and is able to manipulate simple electronic devices (an mp3 player, in this case).

 **Name:** Rika

 **Species:** Arcanine, female. (Pokedex #059)

 **Stats:** 6' 03", 341.7 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Fire

 **Ability:** Flash Fire

Was once Ryan's pet growlithe when he was a child. She was taken away after she defended him from his abusive uncle. Ryan's pokemon located her at a junkyard on the outskirts of Angel City and reunited them. Now, Rika serves at the "den mother" of Ryan's pokemon and seems to take a maternal attitude toward Ryan himself.

 **Name:** Sky

 **Species:** Bagon, male. (Pokedex #371)

 **Stats:** 2'0", 92.8 lbs.

 **Type(s):** Dragon

 **Ability:** Rock Head

Ryan received this pokemon from its father, Orion, the alpha dragon of Aureus. As is common with dragon pokemon, Sky has proven resistant to training. Only time will tell if Ryan can find a way to forge a connection with this willful dragon.


End file.
